Another Legend
by Shinshia101
Summary: COMPLETE! New dragoon warriors are being summoned again and that can only mean that something big is about to happen. Winglies attack villages in search of the seven dragoon spirits. Does it hold the key in the recreation of the god of destruction?
1. Black Burst

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Legend of Dragoon, SCEA has the rights to that!

**Author's Note**: This is my first LOD fanfic, so please tell me what you think! I would also like to thank my editors (my sibs) for their input to make the story better.

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 1**

"But, _what_ is it?" the boy asked as he scrutinized his new present. A single curve formed on his forehead as he threw the sphere into the air and caught it in his hands. "Is it a ball to play with? Does it turn into something else? Tell me, father!" His father only laughed and lifted the boy from the floor, placing him in his arms.

"Tristan, it's a gift! Why are you complaining?" The hefty man gazed at his son with a fake frown. "What? You don't like it?" He snatched the orb from the boy's hands. "It was rather an expensive little thing. If you don't want it, I'll just return it for something more to your liking…"

The child grabbed the small ball from his father's hands. "No, I like it. Thank you, father."

The man grinned and sat down on a chair, adjusting his grateful son onto his lap. "Want to know something, Tristan? When I went to market and saw this little thing I thought of you."

"You did?" Tristan moved closer, interested in his father's tale.

"I saw it as something that you had to have. It was as if it was calling me. So I went to the vendor and asked how much it was. He must have noticed my interest because he told me the price was 1000 gold coins."

"1000 gold coins!" Tristan's green eyes widened. He couldn't even count that high!

The older man stroke the bottom of his beard. "Did I say 1000? No he said 2000!" The little boy gasped. His father smirked. Although the actual price of the orb was much lower than what he had told his son, he felt that a 'little' exaggeration wouldn't hurt. It just made the tale that more interesting. "But you know your old man, I love to bargain. So I told him that I would take it for only 50 gold coins and that was final. Not any higher; I was fierce with him. We argued back and forth until finally he gave it to me for 25 gold coins!"

"Wow!" The boy was amazed at his father's bargaining skills. He wondered if he could ever be that good one day.

The russet haired man ruffled his son's black hair. "You know what? I believe that this little thing will bless you with good fortune! Don't you agree?"

Tristan tilted his head as he rotated the dark purple orb around in his pale hands. "Good…fortune?"

"Anton, don't start putting silly fairy-tales into the boy's head!"

The sudden sound of a woman's voice caused both males to turn their heads. The woman, Jules, had her hands on her hips as she glared at her husband. Her long black hair was tied up in a high bun, with a few strands of hair coming down her face; and her brown eyes was full of irritation. When will her husband stop embellishing everything he said to the boy?

"I was just telling him a story, dear." Anton said defensively. He couldn't help but smile at his son's innocence and naivety.

Jules shook her. She looked at her seven year old son and extended her arm, beckoning to take her hand.

"Come Tristan. Let's go get you something to eat…" She noticed that he was clutching his orb tightly. "Ah put that thing down!" she said, referring to the 'orb of good fortune'.

Tristan shook his head vigorously. "I can't mother. I have to keep it with me always in order to be blessed with good fortune!"

Jules shot another glare as her husband laughed. "Look what you have done!"

------

"Alright Tristy, it's bedtime." Jules said as she led the boy to his room.

"But Maaahm, I'm not…" An unwanted yawn escaped though his lips. "…tired." He crawled into bed and pulled the covers under his chin, still clutching his purple orb. "I'll only sleep if you sing for me."

"Of course." She smiled. She thought for a moment, trying to come up with a melody.

_When daytime turns to night_

_When the moon shines bright_

_When you're tucked in tight_

_When everything's alright_

_Slip softly to that place_

_Where secret thoughts run free_

_And there come face to face_

_With who you want to be_

_Make a wish_

_It's up to you_

_Find the strength inside_

_Then watch your dreams come true_

_You don't need a shooting star_

_The magic's right there in your heart_

_Close your eyes_

_Believe_

_And make a wish_

_I've always hoped for happiness_

_And finally fulfilled my wish_

'_Cause I just need_

_To see you smile_

_Make a wish_

_It's up to you_

_Find the strength inside_

_Then watch your dreams come true_

_You don't need a shooting star_

_The magic's right there in your heart_

_Close your eyes_

_Believe_

_And make a wish_

When she had finished, Jules gazed at her son. He was on his side with his eyes closed. Thinking that he was asleep, she leaned down and kissed him on the head.

"Good night Tristy."

When she closed the door to his room, Tristan opened his eyes, and sat up. He wasn't all that tired. He got out of bed and walked to the window. The night looked beautiful as the little stars covered the dark blanket in the sky. He looked at the orb in his hand and closed his eyes as he pulled it to his chest. He replayed his mother's son in his head.

_Make a wish…I wish that I—_

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud sound. He opened his eyes with a start and moved the brown drapes that obscured his full vision of the outside. His eyes widened at what he saw. The villagers were screaming, running, or falling. The color red was everywhere and random flashes of light kept appearing.

Terrified, Tristan ran out the door to look for his parents. As he ran down the hall, his father was running toward him. The large man scooped up the little boy with one arm and ran with his wife to the back of the house. When they got there, however they were greeted by a man in armor with silver hair that was in a high ponytail. Tristan noticed something on the man's back, but he didn't know what it was. His father stopped in his tracks and put his son to the ground, pushing the boy behind him.

"What do you want? What business do you Winglies have in our village?" the hefty man demanded.

"We have come for the Dragoon Spirit. We were informed that one was seen in this village. We have come to retrieve it." The silver haired man's voice sounded so emotionless and his red eyes were piecing. It made Tristan shiver and clutch his orb tighter.

"Dragoon what? What on earth are you talking about?"

"If you don't know the location, then your life is insignificant." The man began to move his arms in a strange way. First he made an oval in the air and started filling it with a more hand motions. But before the man could finish, Anton lounged at him.

"Run! Run, and don't look back!" he screamed at Jules and Tristan. The woman grabbed her son's hand and ran as fast as she could out the back door. As they ran, Tristan looked back and saw a bright light coming from his home, which was followed by a loud cry. He wanted to go back, back to his father, but his mother dragged him forward.

Jules quickly scanned the landscape. The village looked completely transformed. Everything was in complete ruin and fire covered almost every inch of it. Their only hope was down the mountain to the forest. She looked behind her and saw that other armored men were following them. She and her son ran and sought protection from a large oak tree. Jules put Tristan in front of her and bent to his level. She tried not to cry, not to panic; she knew that those types of emotions spread to children. She took a quick breath and gave him a weak smile.

"Sweetie, I want you to do something for Mommy. I want you to run as fast as you can to the forest and hide. Don't worry; I will be right behind you." She kissed his head and pushed him forward. "Go!" Jules watched as her son ran toward the forest. She then got up and turned around to meet two other silver haired men. A tear escaped from her eye.

_Soa, please protect him…_

------

Tristan didn't look back, he couldn't look back. It seemed as if his legs were acting on their own, making him go forward. He didn't know if his mother was behind him or not, but he could only hope she was.

He skidded down the side of the mountain, but his quick movements caused him to trip and slide, scrapping his knee. The seven-year old curled up on the ground, clutching the injured leg. He rocked back and forth, blowing his cut. After a few seconds, he got up and limped the rest of the way down the mountain.

When he entered the forest, Tristan decided to look behind him. All he could see were trees, but something in his gut told him that those weren't the only things in the forest. Fearing that the strange men might find him, he hid behind a bush. A fountain of tears suddenly flowed out of his eyes and snot was running down his nose.

_Mother…_

_Father…_

The past events flashed into his mind. He couldn't believe this was happening. This was all a dream. Yes, it had to be! He was still in his bed and his parents were in the other room talking and laughing like they always did. He closed his eyes, praying that he would wake up from this nightmare.

"I just want to go home!" he sobbed.

An owl hooted, and he reopened his eyes. He was still in the forest: lost, cold, and scared. It was then that the young boy realized that he was alone. His parents were dead and he knew it, yet he didn't want to believe it. No, he **refused** to believe something like that could happen. His father was the strongest man he knew, he couldn't be…

_Dead…?_

He buried his head into his knees, still allowing the tears to flow. The salt from his tears stung his cut, but that was least of his concerns.

"I just…want my parents!" he moaned between sobs. He was crying so hard that his head started to hurt.

A dim light caused him to look at his hands. His purple ball was now glowing! He was surprised that he still had it.

_Good fortune…it was suppose to give me good fortune! Now all I have is…_ He drew his arm back, about to throw it away when it dawned on him that it was all he had left of his family. He squeezed the ball tightly in his hands. He tried to remember his father's jolly laughs and his mother's beautiful face. He looked at the dark night sky.

_Mother where are you? Are you and Father together?_ He stretched out his right arm to the sky. _Please don't leave me! Take me with you… _

Sudden movement woke Tristan from his trance. He wiped the tears from eyes and looked around. A howl immediately caught his attention. He then realized that he was still in the forest with ferocious beasts ready to devour him at any given time. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and got up quickly. He cringed when he put his weight on the wounded leg. He wobbled through the forest with his only source of light being his little orb, (He was grateful that he hadn't thrown it away.) and the crescent moon in the sky.

Tristan traveled all night long, wondering if he would ever get out of the forest. A cool breeze passed through and he shivered, pulling his clothes closer to his body to keep warm.

After several hours of walking he saw a few buildings in the distance. He hobbled as fast as he could toward it and entered a quiet city. When he entered, he noticed a large fountain and an unexpected feeling of thirst came over him. He tottered toward the fountain; placing his orb to the side, he scooped a handful of water and drank. After he had his fill he looked around. He was so tired and he needed a place to sleep, but it seemed that all the homes were locked. He picked up his ball and walked north from the fountain. Tristan soon stumbled upon a well in front of a large house; next to the house was an open stable. The boy walked to the stable that was occupied by a lone, snoozing horse. He fell into some free hay, exhausted.

* * *

Isabelle Slambert woke up early, just as the sun was rising. It had now become a habit, since her late son and husband always woke up early to head to Indels Castle for duty. The old woman sighed. She still had duties to attend to, even though she lived alone now. She cleaned the house every day, tended to the horse in the stables, and made Lavitz's bed, even though it wasn't necessary. It has been six years since her son died to save his country, dying with honor. The thought makes her so proud, but sad. There were times that she would go into the room and just cry.

She wrapped a scarf around her head, went to the storage room to grab a bucket and went outside to the well to fill it with water. The horse's nagging was as loud as ever.

"I'm coming Beatrice. I'm com—oh!" The shock caused her to drop her container. She couldn't believe her eyes; lying before her was a little boy curled up in hay.

_What is he doing here? _she thought. _Was he sleeping here all night? Oh poor child, he must've been cold…_

She bent down to touch him, but the boy shuddered and opened his eyes. When he saw her, he gasped and immediately moved himself closer into the dark stable. The woman took out her hand in a gentle manner.

"I won't hurt you, little one."

The boy looked at her hand, then at her face. He shunned the hand and got up himself, glaring at the old woman with dark green eyes. Isabelle's eyes glanced at the blooded knee that was dirty with grass and hay. If it wasn't treated, there was a good chance that it would get infected.

"You're hurt; come let's get that cleaned up." She beckoned him to the large house. Isabelle hoped that the boy would accept her invitation. After a long pause, the black haired boy stepped forward and followed the woman into the house.

* * *

**Words from the Author**: Hey guys, Shinshia101 here! I hope you liked the story so far. Yes, there are a lot of similarities between Tristan's and Dart's past I know, but bare with me. Isabelle is the name I gave to Lavitz's mother, since they didn't give her a name in the game. She never got the grandchild that she always wanted, but now she has Tristan!

Furthermore, the song sung by Jules was not made by me. It is called "Make a Wish" from the Pokémon Jirachi Movie (Yeah, I still watch Pokémon, well some of it anyway.).

R&R people! I would love to hear any questions, comments or criticism.

See you in Chapter 2!


	2. Violet Thunder

**Disclaimer**: I don't own LOD, but if I did, I would've created a sequel by now!! All created characters were created by me and my sister and may not be used without our permission!

**Author's Note**: I would like to thank **valhallaknight** and **Plantium**.**heart78** for reviewing my fic. I'm glad that you guys like it. This chapter is kind of long that's why it took a while to post. Thanks for your patience. I would also like to thank my sisters, my brother and my friend, Nollz, for the comments and editting. Thanks a bunch.

There is a moment of strong language, but nothing extreme. Just wanted to let you guys know. Now on to the story!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 2**

"Faster! Be sure that you hold the weapon straight; your enemy will never give you the opportunity to correct yourself! Cleaner hits! Better. Better."

The female fighter stopped for some air. Her forehead was drenched in sweat, so she wiped her brow. She had been training for over four hours straight, trying to perfect her offensive attacks.

"What, finished already?" her instructor, Derrick, asked, cocking one of his eyebrows. He leaned on the spear and looked at his student.

"Are you this hard to all the knights, 'Commander'?" The young Serdian laughed. She ran her hand through her short hair.

"I am far from a 'Commander,' Riza; however, if you intend to become a knight, you must be prepared not only to fight as one, but to be treated like one as well, even if you are still young." He said sternly.

The sixteen year old girl waved her hand. "I know, I know." She looked at the spear in her hands and positioned herself into a battle stance. "Shall we continue, 'teacher'?"

Derrick just shook his head.

"Let's go!"

* * *

_Ten Years Earlier_

_

* * *

_

The sky was grey; it seemed as if nature knew the tragedy that was about to occur. She was dying and there was nothing that he could do to save her. Miranda was a good few days away from where they were and would never make it in time. It was her dragoon spirit that he needed most; he needed it to save her. Dart got up from his place by Shana's side to change the water from the bucket that was now warm. As he left the room, hot tears filled his eyes as he soon realized that his wife was really going to die. If only the Divine Dragon spirit had the ability to heal; if only…

_If! If! If! Shana is dying and…damn! _Dart punched the door hard as he reentered his and Shana's room. Little drips of blood flowed down from his knuckles. The blood felt so warm, so different from what he was really feeling inside. He was scared, scared of losing her. They had been together as a couple for only seven years, why did it have to end, now? Why did…?

"Daddy?" He quickly turned around and found his daughter rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. She had just woken up from her nap; perhaps the noise from the newly broken door had roused her. Dart wiped the blood from his hand on his shirt, not wanting her to worry. He then scooped her up with his free hand and kissed her on the head. "Daddy, why are you crying?" the small girl asked seeing her father's red eyes.

Dart only shook his head, "It's just a splinter in my eye, that's all. Come on, let's go to Mommy." He added with a weak smile. When they entered the room, Dart placed the child on the bed and the bucket to the ground. He took cloth from Shana's head and dipped it into the cold water, squeezed it, and placed it back on her cranium. Shana stirred at the sudden contact with the icy wet cloth. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by the affectionate smile of her daughter. The action was contagious and Shana smiled as well. She got up from her reclined state and embraced the child, causing the cloth to fall from her head, but she didn't care. This was the perfect way to die, knowing that she was loved and with her family. What more could she ever want?

"I love you." She then looked at Dart. "I love you both. Now I can go happily…"

"Don't say things like that! You're not going to die! You think I'm going to let you go without a fight?!" Unwanted tears escaped as he hugged his wife and child.

"I know…but if it is Soa's will, then there is noth…"

"Fuck Soa and his will! All he has done was taken away the things I have loved most. Neet, my parents, and now you too?! Is it the will of the creator to destroy the very things he created?" His grip tightened. No, he wasn't going to let go. Not now, not ever!

Shana let out a cough that caused Dart to automatically release his hold. How easily he had just gone back on his word! She coughed for a long time; each cough only pierced Dart's heart as it was a constant reminder that Soa was really going to take her. He looked away. He hated seeing her restricted and sick, so unlike the lively Shana that he had known for so long.

Suddenly everything stopped. The coughing, the breathing, the smiles, the happiness…it all just stopped. Dart couldn't even shed a tear, all his tears were already used up. He just sat there and stared at the cold, beautiful face of his _dead_ wife.

-----

"Riza, don't touch that! It's sharp!" Dart snapped, when he saw the small girl reach for the javelin. The 33 year old father tugged his daughter's arm, pulling her away from the weapon. The last thing he needed was for her to accidently poke her eye out!

"I _know_, Dad," the nine-year-old rolled her eyes. "I'll be careful." She escaped her father's hold and sauntered around his weapon shop, trying to see if there was anything that needed to be remade, but of course her father's work was impeccable and nothing lacked in luster. She gazed at her reflection through the clear metal of a scythe. Large almond shaped, chestnut colored eyes looked back at her, along with olive colored skin and short brown hair that was parted on the left side, which hugged her pudgy cheeks. She took a deep breath and made a balloon face, and giggled at herself.

Her eyes wandered to a pair of daggers. Making sure her father wasn't looking, she picked them up. They were a little heavy for her petite frame, but she flirted with the thought of being able to use these one day. The weapons around her only fueled her desire to fight, but her father wouldn't allow such a thing for a 'young and respectful lady' as he put it. Riza sighed; sometimes he was just so overprotective!

"Alright, done!" Dart tied a tight knot on the large bag and swung it over his shoulder. "Time to go Riza!"

After closing the shop, they both got onto the wagon to embark their yearly trip to Bale. Riza wasn't sure what her father and King Albert ever talked about during their meetings, but it must have been better than the sewing classes that she was forced to attend with that brat Princess Erin, Albert's daughter. She would rather watch the knights fight each other. Tristan got to, why couldn't she? He was actually _learning_ to become a knight, in Riza's opinion that was more useful than learning how to sew up a hole on a torn shirt. It was because she was a girl. Ladies weren't 'supposed' to fight. The young girl pouted her lips. To her, that wasn't fair at all.

The two and a half hour trip had gone by pretty quickly. Riza held her breath as they approached the gates of the capital city of Serdio. This visit was going to be different, she could feel it.

"Now remember go straight to the class. And no running off, it's…"

"I _know_, Dad! Yeesh, I'm not a baby anymore, I'm practically ten years old!"

Grabbing Riza in an embrace with one arm, Dart kissed her on the head. "But, you are still _my_ baby!"

"Ugh!"

As Dart retreated to the throne room, Riza took a detour to the training grounds in the basement of the castle. Going the normal way would only get her caught.

Down the stairs she went, trying to avoid anybody that would recognize her and send her back to sewing class. She finally made it outside and waited patiently by the entrance of the training facility. Watching the knights move with such precision fascinated her. She noticed a large stick on the ground and picked it up. Mimicking their moves, she swung the 'sword' as she hit her invisible opponent.

"I never expected that a young girl would be interested in swordplay."

Riza straightened up and quickly turned around and found herself 'face to waist' with a Serdian soldier. Riza directed her gaze upward and saw that he was carrying a case full of arrows over his shoulder. He had crew-cut blond hair and was tall and built. Her brain suddenly apprehended that she was caught.

_Of course you were caught; you're practicing in broad daylight,_ she thought, scolding herself. The knight looked down at the small child and smiled.

"My name is Derrick Canson. What is your name little lady?"

Slightly embarrassed that she was caught, Riza blushed. Looking at the ground, she said, "Riza…Riza Fe--." She suddenly came to the realization that he might recognize her last name.

"Hmm?" he inquired, noticing that she stuttered.

"It's just Riza, _sir_." The knight laughed, to her surprise.

"Derrick is fine; I'm not _that_ old." Riza couldn't help but giggle a little as well. The man then bent down to her level. His soft blue eyes gazed into her slightly frightened brown ones.

"Would you like to come inside and see how it is really done? I'm sure you can't see all the combat from out here."

The young girl almost jumped for joy. "Ye—" She paused, realizing that if she did go, she might be recognized and sent to class. "I…can't. Sorry."

Derrick frowned. "That's too bad." He then continued into the training facility, where he disappeared into the throng of other knights.

Riza repositioned her stick and continued to strike the air. It wasn't the same as hitting a real target, but it was all the nine year old could do at the moment, and she was going to make the best of it. She was so into herself that she didn't notice that Derrick had actually come back. In his hands he held two wooden swords. He cleared his throat to get the girl's attention. He held out a wooden sword to her, beckoning her to take it. She looked at him, then at the sword before taking it.

"So you want to learn to fight?"

Riza nodded her head vigorously.

Derrick smiled at the girl's enthusiasm. "Since you seem so eager to learn, I'll teach you some. Girls really aren't supposed to be here, but you have talent. So it will be our little secret, okay?"

"Okay!" Riza was so excited. She was actually about to learn how to fight!

* * *

_Present Time_

_

* * *

  
_

"Well that was some workout!" Riza said, stretching her arms upward. "I think I'm ready for anything!"

"Slow down. I don't think you're ready for just "anything" yet," Derrick said as he picked up the spears from the ground. He placed them into the barrel with the others before returning to the young girl's side.

"What do you mean? We've been at this for what?...almost 7 years now! Do you doubt me, oh great teacher?"

"It's not that, it's just you haven't had any real combat with another soldier."

Riza raised a brow. "So you don't consider yourself a soldier then?"

The 34 year old soldier shot her a look, before letting out a needed sigh.

"It'll be dusk soon. I better leave before you-know-who comes looking for me," the girl suddenly said.

"You still haven't told him yet?" Derrick asked, not sounding the least surprised.

The teen rolled her eyes. "You know how he'd act if he knew. Oh Soa, he's so overprotective it's unbearable!"

Derrick shrugged. "It's what fathers do. Anyway, I advise you do tell him about these sessions sooner _not_ later."

"Yeah, yeah, but today is not that day."

* * *

"'How to be a knight.'" Tristan picked the book from the large bookcase. "'Power without rationality is the same as a naked sword. The good sword requires a matching sheath,'" he read out loud to himself before shutting the book and placing it back on the shelf. He then pulled out another book, this one named "From Walter to Albert: History of the Kings of Serdio". He sighed knowing that there was nothing to do. The public library had closed about an hour ago, and all the books in his home library he had read about a dozen times if not more. He couldn't practice his rapier in the house, and his knighthood classes were over for the day. There was literally nothing to do, but to wait for dinner to be served—that wouldn't be for a while!

He retreated to his bedroom and let his body flop into the soft bed sheets. He looked at the ceiling and closed his eyes deep in thought.

How long had it been? Nine…no ten years? Ten years since the kind old woman brought him into her home and took care of him. Tristan had rejected her compassion at first; he never talked to her when she addressed him, never said thank you for sewing the countless holes in his shirts that she had brought for him. Nothing! He just gave her cold glares whenever she was around. There was even a time when she tried to help him with his hair and he blurted out, "Leave me alone. You're not my mother!" But the old woman was still patient with him; she didn't give up on him or throw him out. Seeing that, Tristan soon began to open up to the woman, telling her everything about his parents and his hometown; he even cried in her arms.

One day, after over a year of rejecting her, Tristan spontaneously started calling her 'Mommy'. It was peculiar, really. He was playing in the library when he saw a huge detestable looking spider. Tristan, an 'arachnophobic', screamed at the top of his lungs. She rushed to his aid and asked him what was the matter.

_A spider, Mommy! Please kill it! Kill it Mommy!_

She killed the spider, of course, and ever since then Tristan addressed Mrs. Slambert with affectionate words such as 'Mommy'. He said 'thank you' whenever she did something for him, did his chores, complemented her food, and kissed her, saying 'I love you' randomly. He became the perfect son…well almost.

A pungent smell caused Tristan to open his eyes and smile. She was cooking jerky. Out of all the great foods that his mother has made, there was nothing better than having the sun-dried jerky sautéed with mixed vegetables. To Tristan, the taste was pure bliss.

He got out of bed and went downstairs into the kitchen. He stood behind his mother, who was so engulfed in cooking that she didn't notice him there.

"Whachya making?" Tristan abruptly whispered in her ear, causing the old woman to jump a little.

_Works every time._

He laughed at her reaction. Isabelle turned around to face the hyena, putting her hands to her hips.

"What did I say about doing that? You could've given me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," he said pouting his lips, and gazing at the floor like a child.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "I'm making jerky, soup, and rice," she stated as moved to check on the pot of rice. "Could you set four places at the table? Dart and Riza are coming over to spend the week."

_Yeah, and to eat __**my**__ food!_

"So, can I have some jerky?" he asked, avoiding the request.

"You'll have it at dinner," she said plainly, mixing the soup.

"But can I have some _now_? Please?"

"No."

"I said 'please'."

"The answer is still no…oh no the rice!"

While his mother rushed outside to get water for the burning rice, Tristan took a plate from the shelf and filled his plate with the jerky and mixed vegetables. However, he didn't make it past the living room. His mother glanced at the plate then gave him a stern look.

"Alright, I'll put it back."

"I thought so. Now set up the table!"

"Yes, Mom," he droned and kissed her on the cheek. All she could do was sigh and save what was left of her rice.

A short while later, Felds came for dinner. Mrs. Slambert greeted them, giving both a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Oh hello, Dart, I'm so glad that you were able to join us." She turned to Riza. "Why, Riza, you're growing into such a beautiful young woman!"

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Tristan mumbled as the Felds entered the house. Riza shot him a look, but he only smirked at her.

"Thank you Mrs. Slambert," she said, smiling.

At the dinner table, the older members talked about old times and other things, while the teenagers remained silent.

"Well, Tristan is growing up to be a fine young boy," Dart said as he took a sip of his soup.

'_A fine young boy?' You mean, 'A fine young demon'! _Riza thought as she glanced at Tristan quietly consuming his jerky. Every since she could remember Tristan had been the bane of her existence, or at least during her visits to Bale. When they were younger, he would 'politely' pull the chair for her to sit at the table, but would pull it out from under her just as she was about to take a seat. But did her father notice? No! He said, 'Be more attentive, Riza'. Tristan constantly teased her, tripped her, and did anything and _everything_ to annoy her. And he acted all innocent in front of her father! Oh if the man only knew!

"Tristan, don't forget to go to the store tomorrow and buy the leeks for dinner," his mother said as she finished up her meal.

"I won't," he replied, putting a forkful of rice in his mouth.

"You know, Riza is going to the sewing class in the castle tomorrow. Perhaps Tristan could take her there when he goes to the store," Dart suggested to Isabelle as he finished up his rice.

Riza stopped eating. Tristan smiled, amused.

"That is a wonderful idea, Mr. Feld. I'd be happy to see Riza off to class," Tristan said.

Riza stood up abruptly. "Um, I'll clear the table. Tristan, could you help me bring these to the kitchen?"

"But I'm not done…"

"Oh, I think you've had enough don't you?" she asked, grabbing the plate from him.

When they both got to the kitchen they put the dishes into the sink. Riza then turned to him.

"You're not taking me to class, got it?"

"Oh and why not? Are you embarrassed? I promise I won't embarrass you!" He said grinning, his green eyes gleaming.

"It isn't necessary." She snapped.

"Why… are planning to go someplace else, like oh I don't know, the castle's training facility?" Riza's eyes widened.

_He knew! _

Tristan let out a small, but devious chuckle. "You're probably wondering how I know. Well, it's not like you hide it very well. Don't think that you aren't noticed when you're behind the castle with the Head of the First Knighthood." He put his pointer finger on his chin, as if he were contemplating something. "Hmm…I wonder what your father would think if he ever found out that instead of learning to be a respectable young lady that you're actually training to be a knight? I don't think he would be too pleased."

"You wouldn't dare," she hissed. She pushed him against the wall and pressed her forearm to his collarbone. "I'll ring your neck!"

"Whoa! No need for such violence. Let's go upstairs and discuss this, like professionals."

Riza thought for a moment, glancing at her father and Mrs. Slambert, who were still talking to each other. She really didn't want her father finding out about her detours. Finally she nodded, and released her hold on Tristan and followed him upstairs to the library. Tristan took a seat in a chair, while Riza leaned against the bookcase. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched him fiddle with a quill.

"Well, out with it," Riza said, breaking the silence.

"Why do you always expect that I want something? But, now that you've mentioned it, I am in need of a servant. You know the chores are just piling up these days!"

"Forget it!"

"Then I suppose you don't mind me telling your fath…" Tristan said as he got up from his seated position.

"Wa…wait! I have a better idea." Riza said pushing him back to his seat. "How about a battle? You and me at the facility tomorrow. If you win…then you can tell my dad, but when I win you will not utter a word and I will gloat at the fact that I whooped your ass!"

He raised his eyebrow. "You mean _**if**_ you win, 'cause you won't."

"Phuleeze!" she said rolling her eyes. "So do we have a deal?"

"Hmm…yeah, we have a deal," Tristan said, smiling.

The next morning, the two teenagers left the house and walked to Indels Castle. When they arrived, Riza went to Derrick and informed him about the battle that was about to take place, and asked him to be the judge of the outcome.

"Are you sure about this?" Derrick asked as he handed her a spear. Riza took it and twirled in her hand.

"I have to. It's the only way to keep that idiot's mouth shut."

The blond knight shook his head. "Don't underestimate him, because you're his acquaintance. He's a pretty skilled fighter."

Riza put the leather cuirass over her head, adjusting it on her torso. She turned her head to the side and cracked her neck. "Yeah, but so am I!"

They walked to the center of the facility, and Riza stood in front of her opponent.

"I promise to go easy on you." Tristan said, smiling at her.

She ignored his comment. She gripped her spear tightly as she eyed his rapier.

_This is going to be interesting!_

"Let the match begin!"

Tristan left no time for hesitation, as he swiftly ran toward Riza, thrusting his weapon left and right. Stunned at his speed, Riza almost fell over. She blocked his first few attacks, but she didn't know how long she could keep it up. She had to go on the offensive, but he wasn't creating any openings.

After a few minutes of blocking, Riza did a back flip to create some distance, then began to spin the spear over her head and pulled it down toward Tristan. His blade protected him, and he began to attack. She quickly planted the head of the spear to the ground and used it as a pole to spin on, kicking him in the face. It caused him to falter but he just shook it off and ran toward her again. Riza pulled the spear out of the ground, but not fast enough. The next thing she knew blood was trickling down from her right cheek. She wiped the blood with her sleeve, and got into battle position.

She twirled the lightweight spear in her hand as she watched Tristan circle her like a predator ready to attack its prey. Again, he ran to her. She used her spear to vault over him. Before he could twirl around, she hit him on the back with the butt of her weapon. He almost fell, but regained balance. The expression on his face was one of annoyance. He ran to her, parrying her attacks, and, with no sexist thought in his mind, punched her square in the face.

Riza moved back, touching her nose, which was bleeding and probably broken. She wasn't expecting that. She saw the smirk on his face, and she wanted to wipe the floor with it. She needed a plan.

_Think! Think! Think! I need to hit sensitive parts of the body. Head, shoulder, belly, thigh, groin_…

She snickered at the last thought. _But we're both wearing armor and the head is out of the question. This leaves me with the thigh and groin. _

She lunged herself at him. When she got close enough to him, she bent down and slashed the front part of his left thigh. Tristan hissed a curse. Riza quickly tumbled between his legs and did the same to the back of his right thigh. They weren't deep cuts, they hurt him but he could still walk. He staggered a bit but remained unruffled. But he began to breathe heavily—the fight was beginning to take its toll on him.

"Let's turn this up a notch," he suggested, suddenly.

"How so?" Riza said hold her spear in lunging position. She wasn't going to let her guard down. However, she raised a brow as Tristan began to take off his armor. "Giving up already?"

"No armor, no weapons, just our fists and feet. You in?"

"Alright," Riza smirked, dropping her spear. "Let's dance!"

Riza did an automatic high kick, that Tristan block with his forearm. With his free hand he punched Riza in the belly causing her to fall down. She quickly got up, dodging a hit to the head. She turned and kicked him in the back. Riza then planted several punches to his midsection. He gasped as he clutched his stomach in pain. Riza stopped for a breath before she kicked him causing Tristan to fall to the ground. He was breathing and gasping heavily as she put her foot on his neck. Martial arts had always been her forte.

"Alright, you win! I won't tell." he admitted, between breaths.

Satisfied, Riza removed her foot and pulled Tristan up. She was so overcome with joy. She won. She WON! Even the knights who were at the facility cheered.

"Derrick did you see tha—oh crap…"

Her victory was short lived. Leaning on the wall by the doorway of the facility was her father. His hazel eyes were narrowed as he stared at his battered daughter. He walked into the room, grabbed her arm and started dragging her out the door. "We're leaving, _now_!"

"But dad…wait!"

"Mr. Feld! It's not what you think! I was just showing Riza—" Tristan started to jog after him and Riza.

"Shouldn't you be getting the food that your mother requested, young man?" Dart asked, coldly.

"Yes, sir," he responded putting his head down, and with one last look in Riza's direction he turned to leave.

Riza and her father walked in silence to the Slambert residence.

"Oh Dart, Riza, you're both early, today. Did you have a good time embroidering, Riza?" Isabelle asked.

Dart let out a small cough as he entered the living room. "Isabelle, sorry for the inconvenience, but we will be leaving earlier than planned." He turned to Riza. "Get your things, we're leaving now."

Riza didn't argue since she didn't want to make a scene in front of Mrs. Slambert. She went to the storage room, picked up her bag and swung over her shoulder. Her father was already by the door.

"But wouldn't you like some lunch for your trip. Some jerky perhaps?" the elderly woman offered.

"That won't be necessary, but thank you, Isabelle."

The two of them left and walked out of the city, into the forest. Riza's heart was pounding hard. She didn't know what to do. Her father was never this angry at her before. She kept glancing at him, but not once did he look back at her. He didn't even talk to her. The only sounds came from the birds tweeting above them.

"Dad, let me explain," Riza insisted as they walked into the house.

Dart tossed his bag on the floor before walking into the kitchen. He noticed that Haschel was there, eating and making himself at home, as usual.

"Hello Haschel," he said, ignoring his daughter.

_This is not good, _the swarthy old man thought as he eyed both of them.

Riza rolled her eyes. "Dad, would you just _listen_ to me!" She wanted him to hear her side of it. Maybe then he would understand.

"Listen to you? Oh so you're the parent now? Because from what I remember, you're _my_ daughter!" He turned and picked up a peach from the bin and bit into it. "But if you insist, I'm all ears."

Despite his openness, Riza knew that her father wasn't going to listen. His mind was already made up. "I don't see what the big deal is," she admitted, watching him as he finished the peach.

"The big deal is that you **lied** to me! You went behind my back and fought when I told you not to!" Dart leaned forward and looked at his daughter intensely. "So, when did you plan on telling me? Hmm? When I found your rotting corpse in the middle of the road?" He ran his fingers through his long blond hair.

_I didn't tell you 'cause I knew you would act like this._ Riza thought, averting her father's gaze.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

She really didn't want to answer that question. "…"

"I asked you a question!" he snapped, impatiently. "How long?"

Her eyes went to the sky then back to her father. Why did he have to look so angry? It was only making this harder than it already was. Soa, she really just wanted to disappear. "Almost seven years," she mumbled.

"You're kidding me! Seven _**years**_?!" He stared at her in disbelief. She had been doing this since she was nine?! "All this time you were fighting instead of going to class?"

"It's not like you asked **me** if I wanted to go to that stupid class every year!" Riza said, frowning.

"Don't talk back to me, young lady!" he warned, pointing a finger at her. When did his daughter become like this? She used to be so innocent and respectful, like Shana. "Your mother would've never pulled a stunt like this!" he mumbled.

Riza couldn't believe what she was hearing. He'd done it again! Her father **always **compared her to her mother. He couldn't see past the fact that though Riza uncannily looked like her mother, to see that she was her own person. Apparently cutting her hair didn't change the resemblance in any way. Anger began to rise within her. She wasn't going to take this! No, she didn't _have_ to!

"You're right, 'cause I'm not mom! I'm not your weak little wife that was in constant need of your damn protection!"

_SLAP!_

"Don't you _ever_ say that about your mother again, do you understand me?" Her father's eyes narrowed as Riza slowly raised her hand to her right check. It felt like it was on fire. "Get out of my sight!" His voice was cold and stern.

She looked up at him, glaring. "Gladly." She turned on her heel and went out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Haschel shook his head. "Time to get serious," he muttered getting up from his seat. He walked over to Dart who was sitting on the sofa, shooting daggers at the door.

"I'm only going to say this once: Don't make the same mistake that I did with Claire, because if you do, you will lose your only daughter and end up with nothing but your guilt to keep you company."

Dart looked up at his grandfather, but said nothing. With his words said, Haschel left the house and went in search for Riza.

Haschel walked past the cemetery. Riza normally went there when she was upset to talk to her mother, but she wasn't there. He wandered down the streets of Seles looking for his great-granddaughter. He looked by the well, in the item shop, in the clinic, but she was nowhere to be found. He gazed upward, stretching his back, when he noticed a figure on the hill overlooking the village. He contemplated on whether to go or not, but he knew he had to. Groaning, the elderly master of the Rouge School, started his way up the knoll. When he reached the top, he saw Riza sitting, hugging her knees. He sat down beside her and rubbed her back.

"I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of those things. I love my mom, it's just…" Riza sighed. "If I didn't look so much like her, maybe he wouldn't be so…I don't know." She buried her head in her knees.

"He's just a worried parent. He thinks that the best way to protect you is to make sure that you never get into harm's way." Haschel suggested. But in doing so…

_He is slowly losing her…_

It was the same with Claire. Haschel had wanted his daughter to become the successor of the Rouge School of Martial Arts. He kept pushing her; it was all about strict discipline and passing down the ancestral art to the next generation. However, all she wanted was to sing songs, chat with friends, and fall in love—to be a normal girl, but he would have none of it. He wouldn't even let her call him He had put his ambitions before fatherhood, and hadn't noticed that his daughter was suffering. Then during training, she killed her friend Lotta.

"_Get out of my sight!!!" _

Those were the last words he said to his daughter, and to this very day, he regretted it. Then he met Dart and found out that his runaway daughter was indeed the boy's mother. But she had died, when he was five. Still Haschel had family, and he wasn't going to let his grandson go through the same mistake he did. Words out of anger were _never_ good parting words.

Riza looked at her great-grandfather for a moment, and then shrugged. "I guess…but why can't he just let me be who I am and not some 'Shana clone'?" She shook her head and looked at the afternoon sun. "I just like to fight. I'm more like _you_ Grandpa!"

Haschel let out a laugh. The irony of it all! "Well, I don't think your father would want to hear that!" She gave him a weak smile. "But, then again I wouldn't doubt it. Hmm, I wonder." He dug his hand into his pocket and retrieved a magenta orb.

"What is it?" Riza asked.

"It's my most treasure memento, a dragoon spirit. Here, I want you to have it. It doesn't glow for me anymore." He handed Riza the orb and it shined in her hand.

"Hmph, well what do you know!" Haschel said, smiling. _I wonder what Dart would say about __**this**__?_

"For me? Pretty…" She hugged the orb, before putting in the pocket of her tunic.

"Well, I better get going." He kissed Riza on the head.

"Thanks, Grandpa."

* * *

"Mom! I told the vendor that you wanted green lelicks, but he said that he didn't have any at the store. He wasn't too sure if they even existed." Tristan placed the pouch of money that his mother had given him on the table. "Are you sure that's what you wanted?"

Mrs. Slambert stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Honey I said I wanted 'leeks' not 'lelicks' or whatever you said." She sighed. "I guess we'll just have to eat some left overs."

He flopped himself on the couch, then gasped. "Hey Mom, did Riza and Mr. Feld leave already?" he asked, noticing that their guest's things were missing in the living room.

"Oh yes, they left about a half-hour ago," she replied, as a-matter-of-factly.

Tristan frowned. _Dart must've been pretty pissed. _

"It was strange, really," his mother continued, walking out of the kitchen with a wooden spoon in her hand. "They were supposed to stay for another five days. They even left without even taking any jerky for lunch with them. I guess we could eat it for dinner."

His ears perked as an idea sparked in his mind. "They left without food? Hmm… why don't I bring it to them? I'm sure Riza would really appreciate it, since Dart really isn't the best cook and…Why are you looking at me like that?"

His mother stared at him with a raised eyebrow and her hands on her hips.

"What?" Tristan asked.

"You're not going to eat it on the way are you?"

"What?! No, Mom! I would never do such a thing!"

"Remember the jerky for the baker?" she pointed out.

He sighed. "Mom, I've told you, a ferocious dog attacked me. I had to give the jerky to it or it was going to bite me. Besides I was ten, I'm more mature now."

"Uh huh," she said rolling her eyes. She gazed at the neatly wrapped basket that she had prepared earlier, and then sighed. "Alright, you can bring it to them. I suppose that means you won't be home for dinner then? Remember to bring your coat; it's chilly in Seles."

As he entered the gates of the small town, Tristan chills went down his spine. He felt tense as he walked down the road to the Feld residence. He was about to knock the door, but then thought against it, and instead pressed his ear to it. He heard nothing. Did that mean everything was okay now? He wasn't quite sure. He decided to walk around town a bit before actually going inside.

He walked south toward the small hill that over looked the town. He looked up and noticed that Haschel was coming down from it. What was he doing up there?

_Probably came for a visit_. _But then again…_

He squinted and noticed that Riza was sitting at the top of the hill.

"Don't jump," he called up to her. She looked down, but only shook her head. Tristan climbed up the side of the hill and flopped down next to her. He glanced at her quickly, noticing that she looked upset, but there was some other emotion that he couldn't put his finger on.

"I brought some jerky," he said, extending his right hand with the basket full of food. She glanced at it for a moment then looked at him.

"Never thought I see the day when you'd share your jerky," she said.

Tristan shrugged. "There's a first time for everything." He watched as she took a piece of jerky and put the whole thing in her mouth.

"So…how did it go?" he finally asked. The question had been gnawing him during his walk to Seles. Dart seemed very peeved when he left Bale, and for some reason it worried Tristan. He wasn't quite sure why, but it did.

Riza coughed, almost choking on her jerky. "Not so well."

"What's 'not so well'?"

Riza turned her face to show Tristan her right cheek.

Tristan whistled. "Ouch." They sat in silence, looking at the small town below and eating jerky.

"Hey Tristan…can I ask you a question?"

"You just did," he pointed out, but she didn't respond to his joke. "Shoot."

"Does Isabelle ever say that you remind her of Servi or Lavitz sometimes? Like you look like them or something?"

Tristan paused for a minute, unsure of what to say. Biologically he really wasn't Isabelle and Servi's son, so he had no blood relation to them or Lavitz. Riza didn't know that. But he decided to answer truthfully, anyway. "She says that my green eyes remind her of Lavitz. That's really it. Why?"

"Did you know that I look a lot like my mother?" She laughed after she said that, almost as if she hardly believed the words she was saying. "At least that's what my dad tells me. Sometimes I wondered when he talked to me, if he was really talking to _me_ or my mother through me. I don't know…" She turned to him. "I sound crazy don't I?"

"Nothing new," he said smiling. "But, I get you," he continued. "Well, I get what you're saying, anyway. But at least you know one thing."

She gave him a puzzled look. "Oh and what is that?"

Tristan put his arm around her. "That you're really an evil demon child from hell, which is nothing like the stories I hear about your sweet and gentle mother. So I really wonderyou're your father could ever mistake you for her at all!"

"Shut up. Takes one to know one!" she countered, pushing the arm off her shoulder.

"I never denied anything," Tristan plainly stated.

Riza fell backward to the grass and gazed at the sky.

"Thanks, for the company," she mumbled.

"Anytime," Tristan said looking down at her. "We demon children have to stick together!"

"Shut up," she said between a laugh.

Tristan noticed footsteps behind them and turned to see that they were from Dart. Riza sat up, noticing her father's presence as well. "Well I guess it's my time to go." Tristan said. He turned to her and whispered: "I'll be at the bottom of the hill just in case Dart decides to push you off." With that, he got up, picked up the now empty basket, and slid down the hill.

Riza clutched her knees, looking down at the town below. She wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to her father. But then again, she wanted to tell him everything, pour her heart and soul to him, if he would just listen to _her _and not the image that he created of her. The wind blew, causing her to shiver. She suddenly felt a heavy weight fall on her shoulders, and she realized that it was a coat. She looked up and saw her father giving her a weak smile. He sat next to her, but said nothing. So, the both of them sat in silence, not really knowing what to say to the other.

"I'm sorry I struck you," her father said suddenly. He turned to her and softly stroked her right cheek. It was still warm from the earlier fight.

Riza shook her head. "No…I deserved it. I shouldn't have said that about mom. But I didn't mean it. It's just that sometimes I feel that you only see mom in me, and not _me_. It just made me mad, you know?"

Her father hugged her. "Your mother was a wonderful woman. She was kind and innocent, and I wanted to protect her. And yet when she died there was nothing I could do. I didn't want that to let that happen to you. I wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to fight like I did." He laughed a little. "You look so much like her that sometimes I expect you to act like her, but you don't…I'm sorry for not seeing you. It's just I…" A tear rolled down his cheek and fell on Riza's head. She looked up and noticed that he was crying. "I miss her so much!"

Riza clutched her father tight. "I miss her, too."

"I love you, you know that right?" he asked, wiping his eyes. She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know this was your favorite spot to sleep when you were a baby?"

"Dad, come on. I'm not a baby anymore," she scowled getting up from his shoulder to prove her point.

"Yes, I know. But you will always be _my_ baby Riza!" he said patting her head. "And if you really want to fight, then I won't stop you."

Riza smiled wide and hugged him. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

"Hold on, if that is what you really want to do then, I'll have to see what you got," her father said. "If this is what you really want, you have to work, hard. You'll have to pick a weapon and—"

"I get to _pick_ a weapon! Sweet! You're the best, dad!"

He smiled. He was glad to see her so enthusiastic. "But I have one condition: Tristan has to train with you."

Riza frowned. "You're joking, right?"

"No. Tristan is a fine young…"

"Yeah, yeah…" She waved her hand disregarding his statement. "Does he _have_ to come?"

"You won't have my approval if he doesn't."

"Ugh this isn't fair! Fine, he can come." She got up. "I'm going to make dinner. I can't believe that he has to come!" She started to walk down the hill when she heard her father gasp.

"What the…?"

"Hmm? What's wrong?" she asked turning back to him.

The 40 year old man pulled out a large orb from his pocket. It was illuminating so much light that he had to shield his eyes. "The dragoon spirit is resonating, meaning that there is another dragoon spirit nearby, but Haschel…" He was talking to himself, more than to his daughter. He looked around, but his grandfather was nowhere near him. He didn't understand. Why was the Divine spirit acting up all of a sudden?

"Oh wait, I remember now. Grandpa Haschel gave this to me. He said he didn't need it anymore." She pulled out the Thunder spirit and it started to resonate along with the other spirit. Her father only gaped. Riza smiled.

"Oh Soa, no!"

-----

Dart rubbed his daughter's back as she slept. She looked so peaceful. He was glad to see that she was happy, but he was worried. He got up and entered the kitchen, where Haschel was sitting on the table eating an apple.

"How is she?" the old man asked.

"She's alright. I finally got her to go to sleep." Riza had been ecstatic when she found out that she was a dragoon. She couldn't stop asking Dart questions about transformations, spirit points, and magic. He couldn't make her shut up. She soon tired herself out after fighting and training with him; she even had another match with Tristan.

Haschel looked at his unfinished apple. "You know Dart, the dragoon spirits seem to be choosing new masters now. It is possible that just like me all the others' spirits won't work for them either. You know what this means don't you?"

Dart nodded, and looked over at the couch to see Tristan sleeping and to hear his noisy snoring.

"Albert must be informed. I'll send Tristan with a message and on your way back to Rouge, tell the others."

Something was undoubtedly coming. Another legend was about to begin…

* * *

**Words from the Author**: Wow another chapter is up! Sorry it took so long, but thank you for being patient with me. I can't believe that I wrote so much, but I really needed to get all this stuff into one chapter to get the story rolling. Ah! I am sooo excited! I've been doing lots of research in this. I'm playing the game and writing notes and everything. Although I am using my fanfiction writing license to make and twist certain things, I still want to be accurate for the most part. I even have a map of the continent to I can get the traveling part! Thanks for all the reviews and support. I'll see you in chapter 3


	3. Blue Sea

**Disclaimer**: I don't own The Legend of Dragoon, but I own a laptop. Yippee for me! 

**Author's Note**: I'm sorry for the long wait, but I was in a lazy mood lately, and needed a break. After reading tons of other LOD fanfics, and with some encouragement from my new friend, Stu, I realized that it was my duty as a fanfic writer to continue for the sake of my readers. Another important note: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS CHAPTER FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T FINISHED THE GAME, READ WITH CAUTION. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 3 **

"_What do you want? What business do you Winglies have in our village?" the hefty man demanded._

"_We have come for the Dragoon Spirit. We were informed that one was seen in this village. We have come to retrieve it." The silver haired man's voice sounded so emotionless and his red eyes were piecing. A small boy shivered and clutched his orb tighter. _

"_Dragoon what? What on earth are you talking about?"_

"_If you don't know the location, then your life is insignificant." _

"NOO!!" Tristan woke up with a start. Sweat was on his brow and he was breathing heavily. He looked around, realizing that he was still in the Feld's home. He sighed.

_Just a dream._

But this was dream he hadn't had in a long time. He clutched his knees, as if he needed reassurance that it was in fact a nightmare. It felt so real. The event was all too clear in his mind, as if it happened yesterday instead of ten years ago. Tristan got up from the sofa; he needed air to think…to breathe easier.

It was dawn and light started to cover the sky. Tristan leaned against a tree and pulled out a dark violet orb from his pocket. It had taken him ten years, but he finally knew what this "orb of good fortune" was.

_A Dragoon Spirit, huh? So this is what those bastards were after all along…! So my parents had to die for what…a small ball? _

He watched as the sphere resonated in his hand. He couldn't understand why the Winglies had come and attacked Hautz because of the little orb he was holding. However, he did know one thing: he was going to avenge the death of parents if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Riza yawned, stretching her arms upward. It was early morning and she and Tristan had to go to Indels Castle and deliver an important notice to King Albert. The girl glanced at her companion, who was unusually silent. That morning Tristan had revealed to Dart, Haschel and her that he was a dragoon as well, yet he hadn't seemed excited about it at all. In fact he seemed rather somber, and Riza couldn't understand why. They would be dragoons, warriors that defended the world, what couldn't be more exciting than that?

"You're unusually quite today, Tristy. What's wrong, got a tummy ache or something?" she teased.

Tristan only grunted.

"Come on, what's wrong? We just find out that we are going to be these awesome warriors and all you can do is sulk around. This is suppose to be a happy time!"

"_Happy_ _time_?" he repeated coldly. "I doubt that." He continued walking, leaving her behind.

Riza raised an eyebrow. _What stick is up his ass? _

The two teens soon entered the busy city of Bale and made their way to Indels Castle. When they told the guards that they had official business with the king, they were lead to the throne room, where the king was currently residing. The two bowed low, and the king waved his hands.

"Enough with the formalities, please. Hello Riza, how are you? I haven't seen you in such a long time." Albert said smiling.

"I'm fine, Uncle Albert." Riza replied. Tristan coughed.

"_Uncle?" _he mouthed. Riza shrugged, innocently.

"What important business that you both have with me?" Albert asked taking a seat in his large chair.

Tristan handed him the important notice that Dart had given them, and the monarch looked it over.

"'Albert…It seems that the dragoon spirits are choosing new masters…'" he read to himself. He touched the dragoon orb that hung around his neck on a gold chain. It didn't glow; Dart was right. He glanced at the two youth in front of him. The letter had read that these two were new masters for the dragoon spirits. He sighed. They were rather too young in his opinion. But then again, Shana was 18 and Meru was…well Meru was another story…

"My Lord, I was wondering if you could explain to us what exactly these dragoon spirits are?" Tristan asked suddenly.

The question caught Albert, who was musing to himself, off guard. He composed himself and nodded. "Why of course. I will explain to you everything you need to know."

The king walked to the other room and beckoned the two teens to join him. The walls of the room were covered with many different tapestries. One tapestry portrayed a large tree that had its branches rooted to the ground and may different fruits at the top of it. Albert paused at this particular arras.

"The legend of the Dragon Campaign starts way back to the beginning of the world." Albert said, slowly outlining the tree roots. "When the creator Soa created the world, it was barren, so he sowed a seed, which grew into a great tree. This tree was known as the Divine Tree. The tree grew 108 fruit, each fruit were the different creatures that filled the earth. The 107th fruit were the Winglies, who believed that they had dominion over all other living creatures. The Winglies answered to their dictator, Melbu Frahma, whose own power was enhanced by the power of a god!"

"A god?" Tristan asked, rather skeptically.

Albert nodded. "The Virage Embryo, or the god of destruction. The Embryo was the 108th fruit of the Divine Tree that would bring destruction to the world. The Winglies knew of this and seeing it as an end to their reign, they separated the soul and the body of the Embryo. The soul was kept in a crystal sphere that Melbu Frahma held to draw unlimited power and rule over the other species."

"What happened to the body, Uncle Albert?" Riza asked.

"The body was cast to the sky as the Moon that Never Sets. But let's continue with the story, shall we? The enslaved suffered a terrible domination and injustice under the iron fist of the Winglies. However, 11,000 years ago seven incarnations of Dragons, or Dragoons, under Emperor Diaz, fought the Winglies. These dragon warriors were created by obtaining a dragon's soul right after its death, or the dragoon spirit. Thus began what is known as the Dragon Campaign. It was a harsh war; both sides suffered countless casualties. In the end, the humans acquired the future."

Albert looked back at the tapestry, and sighed. "However, the humans made one fatal mistake. On attacking Melbu Frahma, they destroyed the crystal sphere that held the soul of the Virage Embryo, allowing it to roam free. The soul would then possess a human in hopes that it could go to its body, the Moon that Never Sets. The body that the soul possessed was known as the Moon Child."

The king glanced at Riza, for a brief moment before continuing. "But before that could ever happen, one of the former dragoons would kill the Moon Child, so that it couldn't destroy the world. This occurred every 108 years when the transmigration of the soul transpired, and the moon would glow red. Every time the Moon Child was born, the dragoon, known to many as the Black Monster would kill it along with those who had seen the child. About 35 years ago, the Moon Child was born again, however, the Black Monster made the mistake in killing the wrong child, allowing the soul of the Virage Embryo to live peacefully for 18 years."

Albert paused again. He wasn't sure if he should tell Riza that it was her own mother that was the soul of the Virage Embryo. He decided against it.

"The Moon Child almost joined with its body 17 years ago, however Melbu Frahma joined with it instead in order to become the god of destruction and rule over the world. However, he was destroyed by the former fire dragoon, Zieg Feld," Tristan and Riza looked at each other when they heard the familiar surname. "…and the former darkness dragoon, Rose, in the Moon that Never Sets." Albert smiled. "But that story is for another time."

He turned to them. "In any case, it is necessary as dragoons that you both embrace your destiny and fight whatever is threatening Endiness. Though to be honest, I'm not sure what the threat is. A report from ten years ago stated that Winglies had attacked a small village in the mountains called Hautz in search of a dragoon spirit. There have been other attacks to other small villages throughout the Serdio and even Tiberoa several years ago, but those attacks seemed to have stopped. Still, we can't just presume that the enemy, whoever that may be, has lost interest. Still we are unaware of their motive or where their base of operations could be. It is important that you retrieve the other dragoon spirits and find their new masters before anything happens."

Riza nodded, but Tristan only grunted.

"Well, you best get supplies. You both have a long journey ahead of you. I'll be sending a few soldiers to accompany you both, but do you find that necessary?"

_Soldiers? Hey Derrick!_ Riza thought.

"Umm…Uncle? Maybe one soldier would be alright…maybe the soldier Derrick Canson…please…" Riza said looking at the king innocently, pouting her lips. Tristan rolled his eyes, but the king let out a little chuckle.

"Alright, Derrick Canson, you said?" He called his scribe to inform the young soldier about the mission at hand. "You are dismissed, unless there anything else you would like to say." Riza and Tristan bowed and left the throne room.

After everyone left, Albert took his seat in his large, golden chair, fiddling with his dormant dragoon spirit. "Hmm…I wonder what this will mean for our future?"

* * *

"So you want to stop by your mom's house before we go?" Riza asked, though it was more of a statement then a question.

Tristan didn't say anything, but continued to walk to the direction to his home.

"Yo, what is your problem?" Riza asked, grabbing his shoulder, pulling him back. Her voice softened. "Are you okay, Tristan? You've been gloomy since we left Seles. Is something wrong?"

The black haired boy paused for a minute. He knew that his friend was worried about him, but he just wasn't in the mood.

"I'm _**fine**_, Riza!" he said sharply and walked into his house.

Riza followed him inside and yelled at him while he went up the stairs. "FINE! I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP!" He responded with the sound of a slamming door.

"What is all that noise?" Isabelle asked getting up from her seat in the living room couch. She placed her book down on the glass table and walked toward the stairs. She figured that her son had arrived back home, but the atmosphere seemed rather tense at the moment.

"Oh! Good afternoon Mrs. Slambert…" Riza said, noticing the old woman.

"Hello Riza. I see that you are back," the old woman stated smiling. She looked at the young girl "Is something the matter?"

_You're son is being a jerk, that's what the matter! _Riza thought.

Isabelle sighed and started to walk up the stairs to her son's room. She knocked lightly. "Tristan? Honey, are you alright?" The door opened and the elderly woman walked inside. She looked at her son lying on the bed, gazing up at the ceiling. She pulled a chair and sat by the bed's wooden frame.

"If there is something that is bothering you, I'm always here to listen, you know that right?"

Tristan glanced at his mother and sat up. His emerald eyes looked so sad; she leaned over and hugged him.

"Mom? If I left, would you think that I abandoned you?"

Isabelle's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.

"If I was sent on a mission for the king, how would you feel? Would you think that I left you like Lavitz? Would you be sad?"

Isabelle choked as she started to cry. She knew that one day this would happen, she just didn't expect it to be so soon. Why did time have to fly by so quickly?

"Of course I would be sad. You are my son…" she wiped her eyes.

"Mom, there is something important that I have to do and…" he paused. He wasn't quite sure how to put it. "…it has to do with the death of my parents and my home…I hope you understand."

The old woman nodded. "Of course I understand." But even as she was saying this, more tears flowed from her eyes. "You've grown so much, and as much as I don't want you to go, I know that you must." She gave him a weak smile.

Tristan took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his mother's face. "I promise that I will return. Will you wait for me?"

Isabelle pulled him into a long embrace. "Oh my son…" she moaned.

* * *

Riza could hear sobbing from upstairs. She didn't want to intrude, so she left, deciding to buy weapons and collect items for the journey that was to come.

She walked south, then east toward the item shop. She figured that she needed plenty recovering items (i.e. angel prayers, healing potions etc), a few attacking items, mind and body purifiers. After buying the items, she thanked the clerk and headed toward the weapon shop.

Riza was extra exited about going there. She asked the vendor what type of weapons that he had. He showed the display and she asked if she could try them out. Riza wanted to find her perfect weapon! She held the spear, twirled it above her head and placed it back on the ground. She liked the fluidity of the weapon, but it's length sometimes hindered her from doing certain things. She tried the traditional sword, but she felt that it was too heavy and it required to much upper body movement. Riza pulled out a pair of iron knuckles. Her great-grandfather used this as a weapon. She viciously punched and kicked the air. She sighed. That sort of combat wasn't her style. She saw a pair of sai and decided to test them out as well. She liked the freedom that she had with them, but she still felt like it didn't suit her.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for a weapon that allows for easy maneuverability in close range fighting." She showed him the two sai. "Something, like this, but not."

The store vendor looked at her for a moment. A part of him couldn't believe that a young, beautiful female would want to fight during a time that was basically peaceful. However, peaceful times meant less business, so he was a little thrilled that someone was buying his products, even if it was a young girl. He thought and nodded his head.

"I may have something in the back. Hold on a minute." He returned with a long box and placed it on the table. He opened it revealing two single-edged blades that were about as long as Riza's forearm.

"They are called Butterfly swords," the vendor explained as Riza reached for them. "They often come in pairs and its small size allows for easy concealment inside sleeves or boots, and allows greater maneuverability when spinning and rotating during close-quarters fighting. There is a small crossguard to protect the hands of the wielder," the vendor said pointing to it. "It similar to that of a _sai_, which can also be used to block or hook an opponent's weapon."

Riza took the weapon into her hands and began to swing at the air, thrusting and spinning. It flowed so beautifully, she almost felt like she was dancing. She smiled. This was what she was looking for!

"I'll take it," she stated happily. She continued to buy other things such as head, chest and foot armor; she figured that Tristan could buy his own weapons and panoply.

After sheathing her weapon she put all the other items into a large sac and started to walk toward the Castle to drop off her things. She wanted to go back to Tristan's place, but a part of her felt like she shouldn't. Besides, Uncle Albert had invited her to stay at the Castle anyway; they could catch up on old times. Yet her mind kept finding itself wandering back to Tristan. Something wasn't right about the way he had been acting lately. It worried her. Did it have something to do with the dragoon spirits and the mission that they were told to do? Did he not want to be a dragoon?

_Did he not want to be with me…?_

Riza almost gagged. What was she thinking? Why was she even worrying about that stupid butt head? He was the one that was being a jerk, not her. If anything, she didn't want _him_ to accompany her. He was only there due to the fact that he was a dragoon too and her father wouldn't let her go out unless he tagged along. That was it and nothing more!

She had been so engulfed in her thoughts that Riza didn't realize a horse and carriage heading right for her. She tripped as the horse neighed in fear, and she suddenly realized her situation. She tried to move, but she knew she wouldn't be fast enough. Should she summon her dragoon spirit? But she hadn't fought anyone to collect and Spirit Points. She closed her eyes. She was going to be crushed!

_Whoosh!_

There were so many sounds. Someone yelling. People gasping.

"Are you alright?" a voiced whispered in her ears. Riza opened her eyes, and to her surprise, she was safe. She looked up at her hooded rescuer, and was greeted with a pair of ruby eyes. She pushed away.

"I'm fine," she mumbled getting up and dusting herself off. She couldn't believe it. She almost got injured and had to be saved by some stranger. What an embarrassment! If her father were to find out, he'd never let her go out on the mission.

The hero pulled the hood, revealing long silver hair, that was tied back in a low ponytail and crimson eyes, almost like the color of blood, not to mention a very handsome face!

_He's gorgeous! _Riza thought to herself as the man picked up her fallen things. She blushed, but scolded herself for being swept away by his good looks. He gathered her things and handed it to her.

"Here, you dropped these," he said with a smile.

Riza quickly grabbed it out of his hands and mumbled a thank you before turning. As she walked away, she noticed that her dragoon spirit was glowing. She suddenly remembered what her father said: "The dragoon spirit is resonating, meaning that there is another dragoon spirit nearby…" She quickly turned around, and began to speed walk, holding her orb in her hand. It shined very bright when she approached a cloaked figure, who was buying a room at the inn.

"Excuse me," she said, placing her hand on the person's shoulder. The individual turned around, revealing it to be the person who helped her before.

"Yes?" he asked. Riza was lost for words, but quickly composed herself.

"May I have a word with you?" she asked, not looking at his face. She hoped that she wasn't blushing.

"Of course," he replied. After paying the innkeeper 100 gold coins, he turned to Riza. "But I don't even know your name Miss…"

"Riza. Riza Feld. Umm…"

"My name is Vector," he said, smiling at her again.

"Right. Vector. Okay so um…could I ask you something…like maybe in your room…?"

Vector raised an eyebrow. "In my room?" he asked, as if he hadn't heard her correctly.

After hearing the male repeat her words, she gasped. That didn't come out right! She shook her head vigorously. "No. No. No! I mean some place private and since we are inside the inn already I just presumed that…" She was rambling and she didn't like it. "I didn't mean anything sexual!"

Vector laughed before patting her head. "Sorry, that I misunderstood you. Come." He lead her to his room and he sat on the bed. Riza felt uncomfortable, but she breathed in hard and finally spoke.

"I was wondering if you are the owner of an object that looks like this?" She pulled out her dragoon spirit and again it started to glow.

The male pulled out an orb that looked just like Riza's except that it was a sea blue. Riza's eyes widened as the blue sphere began to resonate along with hers.

_So he's a dragoon as well! _Riza mused to herself.

"The object that you hold in your hands is something called a dragoon spirit, which is…" Riza started before he interrupted her.

"I know." Vector stated bluntly. "I didn't want you to waste your breath on something that I already knew."

"Oh…" Riza said sheepishly, a bit peeved that he embarrassed her again. She turned her head away from him. How did he already know so much about the dragoons? Was it possible that he knew about the threat that was coming? She was about to ask him when a thought dawned on her. How did Vector get the dragoon spirit if, according to her father, it belonged to a friend of his named Meru?

"Wait…" she began. "How did you get that?" She pointed to the blue orb in his hands.

"Hmm?" Vector looked up at her. "Oh, a man gave it to me in Fueno as payment after I bought him a bottle of spirits. He told me that he found it in the streets in Lohan while he was traveling many years ago. I was surprised to find out that it was in fact a dragoon spirit and that I was chosen to be its master. Who would've thought!"

"But I still don't…how do you have so much knowledge about dragoons and such."

Vector smiled. "I studied it. In my home in Ulara, we Winglies study about the history of Endiness. Since history is a never ending tale, we just keep learning!"

"Wingly?" Riza thought out loud. He only nodded. She was a little surprised, but kicked herself for not noticing the obvious signs: the silver hair, the red eyes, the agility.

Riza suddenly remembered her assignment to find the other spirits and its wielders. Now she just found one! She had to tell Albert right away!

"Do you think that you can come with me to the Castle?" she asked. "King Albert must be informed about the presence of a new dragoon!"

Vector got up. "I understand." He glanced at Riza, who was still carrying her large sac. "Do you want me to help you with that?"

"What… this? No, I can do it myself. Oh wait, I'm going to have to buy some supplies for you too, I only brought enough for just two people." She then mumbled to herself: "I hope I have enough money!"

The two of them left the inn and stopped by the weapon shop before heading to Indels Castle. At the shop Riza noticed that Tristan was there, buying things as well. When Riza called him, the black haired boy turned around, but his eyes soon narrowed when he saw Vector.

"Who the hell is he?" he asked, glaring at the man before him.

"You don't have to be so rude. What is up with you lately? Anyway, this is Vector. He's a dragoon as well!"

"A _**Wingly**_?" Tristan said coldly, completely ignoring Riza's statement that he was a dragoon.

"Yeah, you have a problem with that?" Vector asked, glaring back at Tristan.

Riza raised an eyebrow. _What is this? After just a minute of seeing each other they are already enemies! What's going to happen when we have to travel together? Men are so immature!_

"Look Tristan, he's a dragoon so he's going to accompany us if you like it or not!" Riza said audaciously. She wasn't quite sure how he was going to act, but someone had to be the grown up here!

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he said as he purchased his things and left the shop.

After Vector and Riza bought more supplies, they headed to Indels Castle. They walked to the throne room and to Riza's surprise Tristan was already there, however he kept glaring at Vector.

Riza informed King Albert that she had found another dragoon, and Vector bowed introducing himself. The monarch nodded and welcomed silver-haired man.

"Dragoon Spirits attract each other, and Dragoons gather as the Dragon Spirit desires...as Soa's fate leads," Albert said. The three looked at him, but he just smiled. "Just some folklore that a friend once told me."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ah another chapter done! (Stretches her arms upward) Okay, that is 3 dragoons down, and 4 to go, not bad. Okay I can do this! Please review and tell me what you think! Albert talks a lot! Well that is in his character, but sorry for boring you with the long history about the dragon campaign and stuff. As a disclaimer, I used some quotes from Minister Noish and the Librarian Ute, I didn't create this whole history thing by myself. I know that you all know about it, but our heroes didn't, so they had a right to know!

The small means I took the quote from Wikipedia. It is not my own. It took me forever to figure out Riza's weapon. I wanted it to be perfect and suit her personality. I was going online looking for ancient weapons. I was going between a lance and daggers, but daggers is something that everyone used and I wanted to be different. Then I saw the Butterfly Sword on this Power Ranger robot toy on google and thought it was awesome. And that was how I decided on that. Ah, I'm so proud of myself!

See you in the next chapter, don't forget to R&R


	4. Jade Wind

**Disclaimer**: You all should know by now that I am broke and will NEVER own Legend of Dragoon.

**Author's Note**: Presenting Chapter 4. Thank you reviews Popcornkernal and Scrayk! You're reviews motivate me more than you think. This is an interesting chapter where we meet our villains, and things start to really pick up. Check it out! XD

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 4**

"Why are we even doing this boss?"

"Yeah, we don't even know who that chock is, maybe she's setting us up!"

"Quiet, all of you!" the bandit leader, Crayk commanded. He ran his fingers through his brown hair. He and his men got off the row boat and climbed the latter that led to the basement of the castle.

* * *

_**One Week Ago….**_

**

* * *

**

Crayk and his crew of bandits were relaxing in their headquarters currently located in the Home of the Gigantos, when a mysterious hooded woman approached them. When his men went to 'greet' their guest, the woman swiftly avoided his men's attacks and defeated them. The stranger said that she only came to visit Crayk and offer him a proposition, one that involved money! Of course this interested the bandit leader and he called off his men.

The hooded female stepped forward and explained what her business was. Her plan was to invade Indels Castle and in order to do that, she needed the thieves' help.

The bandit leader leaned forward. "Invaded the well-guarded Indels Castle? _The _Indels Castle. You must be out of your damn mind!" He started to laugh and his men soon followed suit. However the guest seemed un-phased.

"Yes, it would seem impossible to a foolish, dimwitted human like you," she mumbled.

When the leader raised a ponderous eyebrow, unsure of what the woman before him said. The hooded female replied sarcastically, "Indeed it would seem impossible if we walked up to the city gates in broad daylight and demanded to get inside the castle. However, I have come well prepared." She pulled out a rolled piece of parchment from her cloak and handed it to Crayk.

Opening the paper, Crayk analyzed it and gasped, realizing it was the blueprints of Indels Castle itself!

"How did you…"

The hooded woman raised her hand. "It does not matter where or how I retrieved such information. What matters is how we will get _inside_ the castle without the least suspicion!"

Crayk looked at the hooded woman more closely. Why was she here? What was she _truly_ after?

"And what is in it for you if this plan is executed accordingly?" Crayk asked.

"That is none of your concern," the hooded woman said plainly.

"Then we ain't gonna help ya!" the only female bandit, Lani, blurted.

"Enough!" Crayk ordered, glaring at Lani. His gaze reverted back to the hooded woman. "If you don't want to tell us I can understand; however, what is in it for _us_, since you want our help."

The hooded woman shook her head. "Isn't it obvious? You will be in Indels Castle. A place full of endless treasure and gold."

Crayk looked at his men, whose eyes were filled with hunger at the mention of gold, then looked at the rolled up blueprints in his hands. He sighed.

"Alright. We'll help you."

-----

The crew of bandits all got off the boat and slowly went up the stairs. Lani went up first; seeing that there was no one in sight, she called the okay for the other members.

"Alright guys. It's chowtime!"

They quickly dispersed throughout the castle basement. Crayk noticed a young soldier guarding the entrance to the royal treasury. The bandit leader quickly ran towards him, brandishing his long dagger. The soldier, finally realizing what was happening, fumbled for the whistle and blew it but only for a few seconds before Crayk slew him.

* * *

Tristan stood lazily as Albert began to reiterate the mission to Derrick. Although Derrick wasn't a dragoon, it was still his job to help the others, and a little side not from Dart: to look after Riza.

He couldn't help it, but his kept wandering back to that night ten years ago. Every time Tristan even shot a glance at Vector, he couldn't help but glare and feel hatred towards him. Those piercing crimson eyes; those were the eyes that killed his mother and father, and to him that was enough to hate his Wingly companion.

He let out a needed sigh, before he heard an abrupt sound of a low whistle. The sound was gone as quickly as it came. He wasn't quite sure if he had really heard it or not. Was it just a figment of his imagination? The black haired boy turned toward the direction that he heard the sound come from.

"Did you hear something?" he asked. His question was directed to Riza.

The young girl looked up. She too was tired of hearing the tale that her 'uncle' was saying. At times he just talked too much. She turned to Tristan, who was attentively staring to the stairs that led to the treasury.

"Hmm?" she asked, not hearing the first time.

"It sounded like a be--" he started.

"YOUR MAGESTY!"

A wounded knight came stumbling into the throne room, before collapsing to the floor. Derrick quickly ran to aid him. He bent down and placed the fallen knight's head on his lap, cradling it as it was a baby. "Akel, what's happened?"

The knight turned to face the head of the First Knighthood. His face was battered up, and his lips were bruised so it made it difficult to talk. He felt so weak, in so much pain.

"Bandits!" was all he gasped before he died in Derrick's arms.

A tear escaped Derrick's eye. He placed the dead knight gently to the ground. "Don't worry my friend. Your death won't be in vain!"

"There are bandits in the castle," he explained, turning to the rest of them. "We must move, quickly!"

They nodded and leaving the King behind, left to aid the other knights downstairs.

When they reached the basement, they couldn't believe their eyes. There were so many bandits. Nearly every inch of the lower level was full of them. The plan was divide them up and each would attack their group of bandits. Derrick and the others scattered, putting their plan into action.

* * *

The hooded woman gracefully flew in through the large throne room window. She took off her hood, revealing long braided silver hair, with crimson eyes. She looked around, and seeing the king, she smiled. She found what she was looking for! She briskly walked toward the King of Serdio, extending her long thin sword toward him; however the monarch was ready, brandishing a long lance.

_No doubt she is a Wingly! _Albert thought.

The woman gasped, but wondered why she was surprised: the king was a dragoon after all. She sighed. She wanted to complete her mission, quickly. Her master had little patience for those that procrastinated, and being on her master's bad side was definitely something she did NOT want to do!

"What business do you have here?" King Albert demanded. "I demand you answer!"

The woman laughed lightly. "Give me the dragoon spirit, and shall let you live, human!"

"You'll have to take to from me first!" the king roared.

She left no time for hesitation and quickly began to conjure up a spell. She moved her arms in a strange way. First she made an oval in the air and started filling it with a more hand motions. Then came a shining light and strong gust of wind blustered in the large throne room.

Albert stabbed his lance into the ground and held on to it tightly. The winds were so strong, as if it was ripping the skin off his face.

_If only the dragoon spirit would activate then I could defend myself better! _he thought to himself, as the spell began to weaken. He gasped for air and the Wingly flew towards him, punching him in the stomach. He fell backward, but got up again and charged at her.

The woman smiled. Humans are so persistent…and stupid! She flew to the air, making the king miss his intended target. She conjured another spell, this time water was the element. The room began to get cold. Soon the pillars, windows, and the rest of the room were covered in ice. She descended down, but the king was nowhere in sight. She turned around, then cussed. The whole room was white; everything looked the same. She began to scan the throne room closely. In her desperate search for the king she didn't notice someone behind her.

Albert stabbed the Wingly on the back, then pulled out his spear. The tip of the metal was covered in deep red blood.

The woman faltered, but quickly rose to the air again. She had underestimated this human. Though she had expected him to use his dragoon spirit, unless he cou-

"Daddy!"

They both turned their heads and saw three young children standing by the entrance of the throne room.

Albert gasped. "Erin! Take your brothers and leave!"

As the teenage girl ushered her younger siblings to the door, the Wingly woman flew and grabbed them. She smiled as she watched the children squirm in her grasp. If she couldn't get the dragoon spirit directly, then she would have to use other methods.

"Give me the dragoon spirit, or they die!" she stated.

"Let them go!" Albert screamed. His children were the world to him and the last thing he wanted was to see them get hurt.

"I don't have time for your petty games human! Give me the spirit!" She held up one of the boys by the neck.

The king's eyes widened. "Alex!"

"Or do I have to show you the cost of your procrastination?" She began to squeeze the small boy's neck tighter. He tried to gasp for air but his efforts were in vain.

"Stop it!"

A sharp pain hit her stomach, causing her hold on the boy to loosen. When she looked down she saw that the other boy, whose face was identical to the boy in her hand, had just jabbed a sharp icicle into her side. His eyes were bright blue, yet they seemed as if they were red and filled with fire. His eyes only narrowed when the female Wingly looked down to him.

"Let my brother go," he simply said in a monotone voice.

"Wretched creature," she said, giving him a hard slap across the face, sending him flying into a pillar, knocking him unconscious.

"Adrian!" the boy Alex screamed, trying to release himself from the woman's grasp, so he could help his twin. However, her hold on him only grew tighter. She sighed internally. Why couldn't they all be like the girl?—Afraid and silent!

"My patience wears thin, human! Give me the spirit, now! Or do you want to see the rest of your children hurt?"

Albert glanced at his unconscious son, then at his other children who were crying. He sighed; he had no other choice.

"Let them go, and will give you the dragoon spirit," he said sadly, hanging his head.

The Wingly smiled.

* * *

The stream of bandits seemed never-ending. Every time they knocked one down another was there to take place!

Derrick used the butt of his spear and hit one of the bandits in the back of the neck. He wiped his sweating forehead. Something about this just didn't seem right to him. How did the bandits get to the castle basement without being spotted? This many bandits were never seen in Serdio. Most of the bandits had their base of operations in Tiberoa; but how did they get here? Since many of them were wet, he presumed that they had come by sea, yet the only way for them to come by sea and not be spotted was to go through the underground cavern that linked Donau, Tiberoa and Bale, Serdio. It was built in secrecy for the royal family, just in case an invasion or a civil war ever occurred. In this way, the royal family of Serdio could escape to Tiberoa or the royal family of Tiberoa could escape to Serdio. Only a few people knew about this: trusted officials and the royal families themselves. How did the bandits get a hold of this information?

Something in his gut was telling him that there was something bigger at work here. Was this all a set up to draw all the knights away from the real objective? If that was the case then…

_The King!_

Derrick attacked another bandit then headed to the stairs. "I'm going back!"

"Don't worry," Riza said. "I got you covered!"

Derrick nodded then ran up the stairs to the throne room. As he went up the stairs, he suddenly began to feel chilly. When he got there he couldn't believe his eyes. The whole throne room was covered in ice. It looked like winter in Mille Seaseau, or even the legendary city of Gloriano!

He noticed that the king was standing in the center of the room and there was someone else there. _A woman, perhaps?_ Something felt wrong and he ran to the king.

"Your Majesty!"

The King and the woman looked up immediately. In a quick movement, the woman grabbed the chain around the king's neck and started to run toward the window.

Derrick ran after the woman; he wasn't going to let her escape!

The woman jumped out the window and began to fly upward. "Ta, ta, human!" she taunted, jingling the dragoon spirit in the air. She was about to fly away when she felt a weight pull her legs. She looked down and noticed that another human was trying to stop her. Her jaw tightened in anger. She quickly tried to wiggle the human off of her, but his hold only tightened. He began to climb up her body as if it was rope.

"Let go of me!" she demanded. She began to perform many stunts, such as looping in the air several times and diving very quickly to the ground, but to her dismay, the human didn't let go.

Derrick climbed higher and higher, until he was face to face with the Wingly woman. He reached for what the woman had in her hand, a small light green orb. He grabbed it and it began to illuminate brightly. A tornado soon surrounded him and the woman and the strong winds caused him to release his hold of her, and he fell. A surge of power like nothing he had ever felt before embraced him and he let out a cry. The small orb shined brighter and the tornado subsided. He was now dressed in green armor and flying! He couldn't believe his eyes. Could this be what the king was telling him earlier? Did this mean he was a dragoon? Derrick's gazed quickly returned to the woman flying across from him.

"Zut!" the Wingly cussed. This just wasn't her day!

-----

After what seemed like an eternity, the bandits decided to retreat. The female bandit released a smoke bomb and when it subsided, all of the bandits were gone, included those that were injured.

Riza, Tristan and Vector went upstairs to se how Derrick was doing. But when they got there they weren't prepared for what they were about to see.

The throne room was covered in a thick layer of ice and snow. Vector immediately transformed into his water dragoon armor. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate on removing the ice from the room. He let out a cry and slowly the ice began to disappear.

Riza and Tristan ran toward the king and the young children.

"Are you alright?" Riza asked. King Albert, who was cuddling his fallen son, nodded.

Relieved, Riza let out a sigh. She looked around her. "What happened," she asked.

"Never mind that," Albert said. He motioned his head toward the window. "You must help Derrick. He is outside fighting a Wingly who was trying to steal my dragoon spirit."

"A _**Wingly**_?!" Tristan roared. He got up quickly and ran toward the open window. Sure enough, he saw Derrick battling a female Wingly. He jumped out of the window and a blanket of darkness engulfed him, and he was in his dragoon armor. He extended his rapier, and zoomed toward the Wingly.

The Wingly woman descended as she dodged an attack, this time from another dragoon that wore dark purple armor. She flew into the air; if she didn't get out of here, then she would be done for! She had now seen two dragoons and two against one, was definitely an uneven match. She flew by the castle window. Maybe if she captured one of the children again, she'd be able to not get just one but two dragoon spirits. After all, a human's most vulnerable when their loved ones are threatened. She dove into the throne room, scanning it for a potential hostage.

"Riming Vortex!" a voice cried from behind.

She turned around and was bombarded by a whirlwind of ice. She fell to the ground but soon regained her elevation.

The female Wingly gasped. Another dragoon?! Not only that, but the opponent before her was one of her own kind.

"Traitor!" she hissed, as she quickly moved to avoid another attack. She conjured up a fire-based spell, causing the Wingly dragoon to plummet to the ground. She smirked, then reverted her eyes to the prize: the children. The Wingly woman noticed that the young princess was wide open for the taking. She began to fly towards her when she heard a loud cry.

"Oh no you don't!" Riza screamed. Flashes of electricity appeared at Riza's feet and soon began to engulf her whole body. A bright magenta light shined and she was soon dressed in her thunder dragoon armor. With her butterfly swords at hand, Riza ran toward the female Wingly. The Wingly used her thin sword to block the attack.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Riza grabbed her opponent by the neck and flew into the air. Her brown eyes began to turn light purple as she began to release a magic attack.

Suddenly Riza began to feel a sharp pain in her head. She let go of her hostage and clutched her pounding head. It felt as if her brain was being repeatedly hit with a sledge hammer. Her armor began to phase in and out until she de-transformed completely. She fell, but Vector caught her before she could actually hit the ground. Riza couldn't understand what was going on. Why did her head hurt so much? The pain was just too great to hold in that she out a cry.

"AGGHHHHHHHH!!"

She pushed Vector away from her, and she fell to the ground. She was shaking violently.

_What's happening to me? _Riza thought, gnashing her teeth.

The female Wingly noticed that something in her pocket was vibrating. She took it out and saw that the crystal she possessed was doing shaking as well, as if in synch with the human below. She gasped and glanced at the fallen girl once more.

_Could it be? _

Her face suddenly soon was kissing the wall. The dragoon in the dark purple armor had charged at her from behind, and pressed her against the wall.

"You're mine Wingly!" he hissed in her ear. He swung his rapier and was about to jab her with it, but she elbowed him in the stomach. She flew up into the air, and with one more glance at the human girl, she zoomed out the window.

"COME BACK HERE!" Tristan flew out the window to follow her, but when he got there, the Wingly was nowhere in sight. He cussed; he had let her escape! He flew into the throne room and descended to the ground and his armor disappeared. His ears perked when he heard one of the children shriek.

"Daddy! She's shaking. Riza's shaking, daddy!"

Tristan's eyes widened.

_Riza!_

Tristan ran quickly toward them and pushed through. Riza was on the ground, shaking as if she saw a ghost. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Riza!" He looked at her face; her eyes were open, but it was as if she wasn't there. "Wake up!"

Riza shook her head and began to blink. "Wha…what happened?" She sat up, but hit the floor again when Alex and Adrian jumped on her.

"You're alive!" they said in unison, hugging her tightly.

"Woah! Let go!" she said pushing them off. She touched her head. It seemed that her headache had passed.

"Are you alright?" Vector asked, his red eyes full of concern. Riza looked around, everyone was looking at her.

_Wow, I really must have made a scene. Why do I always embarrass myself?!_

She quickly got up and started to walk around. "I'm fine. See?" She did a back flip to prove her point. "Fine as a feather!"

She smiled weakly. "Sorry if I worried you."

Tristan got up as well. "You're such an idiot; spacing out in the middle of a battle. What's wrong with you?"

"Shut up! It's not like I did it on purpose." Riza explained.

"Whatever," Tristan said shrugging. He walked up to Riza and whispered into her ear saying: "Are you really sure you're okay?"

Riza nodded. Tristan ruffled her hair and headed toward the window.

"She escaped," he plainly stated, sounding disappointed. Riza walked up to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, we'll find her!" She said with confidence. He turned to her, but shook his head. "In other news, we've now found out that Derrick is a dragoon!" She ran toward him and gave the Serdian soldier a hug.

Derrick blushed lightly, embarrassed. "I guess so. I'm just glad that you're okay Riza."

Albert got up, holding his children "I believe you'll have to travel to Tiberoa and see if the bandits know anything about the enemy we encountered today."

Vector nodded. "Indeed."

Albert's eyes, however, never left Riza. He had seen a similar occurrence before. He prayed that what had happened wasn't what he thought it was.

* * *

"Well that seems to be everything," Derrick wiped his head as he swung the large bag that his wife packed for him. It was full of food, medication, and everything else he would need for the journey.

"Dylan," Derrick ruffled his son's hair. "While I'm gone you are going to be the man of the house! You must protect your mother and younger sister."

"I will!" the eight year old said saluting his father.

The Serdian soldier turned to his wife, who was holding their four-year old daughter, Ileana. He kissed his wife softly on the lips.

"Be safe," she whispered. Derrick smiled and kissed her again.

"I always am!"

"Bye Daddy," Ileana said, blowing him a kiss. He grabbed the 'kiss' and placed it into his pocket.

He hugged his family once more, before departing with the others.

* * *

"You may enter, Lohita."

The battered female Wingly entered her master's quarters. The room was large covered with many bookcases on all sides. There was only a round table and a chair that her master was sitting in. She placed a white object on the table, when a sudden voice started her.

"Well? Do you have it?" her master asked, causing her to jump a bit.

Lohita removed her hood and bowed. "No I do not, sir. It seems that there are other dragoons as well, just as you suspected."

"How many were there?"

"Adding to the one that I was unable to acquire, four, my lord."

The elderly Wingly got out from his large seat and started to walk around the room. He had on a long gray robe and that matched his gray beard. He had intense golden eyes that made the young female quiver.

Lohita feared her master more than anything, even than death itself. Death was inescapable, but the way one is put down that road is what really mattered. The man she served was not only a Wingly with great knowledge of magic, but he was also one with little sympathy. One wrong move, and…

"Did you find the soul?" his master suddenly asked.

Lohita looked up. The question caught her off guard, but she quickly nodded.

"Answer me when I ask you a question!" he barked.

"Ye--yes. The soul was there, my lord."

Her master's thin lips formed a smile. "So the Moon Child still lives." He noticed the object, a crystal, on his table. He picked it up and began to play with it in his hands, letting the crystal roll between his fingers. Everything was going according to plan.

"Good. Very good. Is the machine ready yet?" he asked.

"The scientists are just adding some finishing touches, sir. It is only a matter of time befor-"

"Enough! You are dismissed."

Lohita bowed and quickly left the room.

"I'll let them collect the dragoon spirits for me and once everything is ready, the world will be finally mine!"

A loud, malicious laugh echoed from his master's chambers, and the sound only made Lohita walk faster.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Another chapter done. Ah! What a relief! I hope you will R&R. All your opinions, comments, questions, or whatever matter to me!

See you in Chapter 5!


	5. Memories

**Disclaimer**: Oh why, why wasn't I the brilliant creator behind the LOD project?! (sighs) Oh well, it is obvious that I am not the owner of Legend of Dragoon, but maybe one day I shall step in and help create a sequel…HA! When pigs fly…

**Author's Note**: Thank you for reviewing my fanfiction people, it is really appreciated. Thank you Stuart and Lani-chan for your encouragement, you guys are awesome, even if you are all the way across the country! lol

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 5**

Riza noticed that Tristan was, once again, unusually quiet as they left Bale for Lohan. She rolled her eyes, positive that her friend's silence had to do with the Vector accompanying them on the journey. She wasn't quite sure why Tristan was annoyed about it. After all Vector was a dragoon and as dragoons they had to work together to stop the threat that endangered the people of Endiness, whatever that threat was. Riza sighed as she walked a little slower to become in sync with Tristan's footsteps. She patted him on the shoulder, but he didn't seem to notice that she was there. He seemed to be deep in thought, and then he suddenly stopped walking.

"I just remembered I have something important to do," he said, breaking is 'vow of silence'. "I'll meet up with you in a little bit."

"Something important to do?" Vector reiterated, hearing Tristan's words. Tristan only glared at him.

"Important? Like what?" Riza asked.

Derrick stopped to see what was going on. Riza went closer to Tristan, insisting for an answer. She couldn't understand what was going on in Tristan's head these days. He used to be so easy to read, but now…

The look that Tristan wore shocked the female dragoon. His jaws were tight and his usual boisterous green eyes were instead mixed with annoyance and a little bit of sadness.

"I'm going," he stated bluntly. "And don't follow me." Without another word, he turned and headed toward the mountains.

The fact that Tristan told her not to follow him only fueled her desire to do so. However, Derrick only shook his head.

"Let him go," Derrick said. "We should head to Hoax and rest a bit before we continue on, don't you think?"

Riza nodded, and with one more glance to the mountains, followed her two other companions toward Hoax.

* * *

_It's been a long time…_

Tristan stepped into the ruins of what use to be his home. It was so different from the Hautz of his memories. There use to be the baker selling freshly baked bread just straight ahead and there used to be children everywhere. Although it was small, it was a lively town with people smiling and laughing. Now it was just a wasteland.

He continued to walk. Tristan picked up a small rock from the ground and smiled.

"_Father, look at this? Will you be able to sell this at market?" a young Tristan asked._

_The hefty man bent down to his son's level and examined the object in the boy's hands. It was a smooth teal stone that had different shades of the color covering it. _

"_Good work my boy," his father replied smiling. "You have a good eye for valuable things." He scooped Tristan up with one arm. "You could make a great salesman someday, just like your old man!"_

"_When I grow up I want to be just like you," Tristan explained, hugging his father. _

Anything he touched triggered a memory, a happy memory, of his mother and were such good people, and yet they met a terrible end, for what?-a small orb!

Tristan sauntered toward the direction of his old home. Most of it was gone, but there was still some of the frame of the house left. This home his father built with his own hands when his mother was pregnant with him. Tristan stroked the burnt wood. Everything that _could've_ been if only…

He knelt down and wailed.

* * *

When Riza, Vector and Derrick entered Hoax, they went to headquarters and were greeted by Kaiser of the Eighth Knighthood.

"Derrick! Welcome," Kaiser gave Derrick a firm shake of the hand and looked him in the eye. "I heard about what happened in Bale. My men have just reported that they have seen a person flying in the air heading north not too long ago. The destination however is still unknown. We've also contacted the knights in Tiberoa and told them to be alert and report anything strange. "

"Thank you, Kaiser. Your help is greatly appreciated," Derrick replied. "If you don't mind, we would like to stay here, just to rest a bit."

"Of course!" Kaiser said. He glanced towards Riza. "Have we met before?"

Not sounding the bit surprised, Riza shook her head. "No, we haven't. But you may have met my mother before."

"Mother?"

"Oh I am so sorry Kaiser let me introduce to you my companions. This is Vector and this is Riza Feld, daughter of Dart and Shana Feld from Seles." Derrick said, adding Riza's parents' names to help old Kaiser trigger a memory.

Kaiser gasped and nodded. "Ah, Dart! Yes he defended this fort many years ago. And Shana? She was beautiful indeed. I thought you looked familiar."

The head of the Eighth Knighthood stepped closer to Riza. "How is the pretty lady now?" he asked with a smile.

Riza averted her eyes downward. "She died…10 years ago."

Kaiser frowned. "I am sorry to hear that."

"I hear that these forts were used to stand against the Sandorian army. Are they that strong?" Vector injected, before the mood could turn too somber.

Kaiser's face lightened up. "My boy, you haven't seen a real fort until you have seen Hoax!" He took Vector by the shoulder and led him outside to talk.

Derrick sighed. "Sorry about that. I know that you don't like to talk about your mother much."

Riza shook her head. "It's alright. I'm glad that she was such a great person and touched so many people." She looked up and gave Derrick a fake smile. "I think I'm going to go for a walk." She then left headquarters and walked to the entrance of the fort city.

Riza sighed thinking about what transpired. It seemed like so many people knew so much about her mother, yet she knew nothing, only what her father had told her. The thought made her sad.

_If Tristan were here, he'd understand…_

She began to wonder where Tristan had actually gone. He seemed upset and serious when he left them earlier and it troubled her. She had never seen Tristan wear such eyes, full of sadness and fear. There was something that he wasn't telling her, and Riza felt betrayed. She trusted him with her secrets, worries and such, why couldn't he trust her?

Riza decided to go back and find Tristan. What if he was destructive? With the way he had been acting lately, Riza couldn't really predict what her friend would do. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her, and casually walked out of Hoax. After she was a good distance away, she began to run. She stopped at the place where Tristan and the rest of them parted. She looked up at the mountain, took a deep breath and walked up the trail. She soon noticed footprints on the ground. They looked fairly new, so presuming they were Tristan's footprints, Riza followed them until she reached a derelict place. She looked around. From what she could gather, it looked like it used to be a town, long ago.

_Maybe this was burned down during the civil war 17 years ago, _she thought.

Riza heard something; it sounded like a small sob. She walked toward the sound and noticed that Tristan was kneeling on the ground with his head down. The sobs were coming from him!

She edged closer, wanting to comfort him. She paused and decided it was best that he didn't see her, and stayed behind a tree.

After a few minutes Tristan got up. "I thought I told you not to follow me," he said without even turning around to face Riza.

"And you thought I would listen?" she joked. Riza moved closer to him. "I just wanted to see if you were alright."

He sighed and turned around. Although his wasn't crying anymore, Tristan's eyes were blood red.

"Why are you here anyway?" Riza asked. The town was in ruins and there seemed to be nothing there.

Tristan gave her a weak smile. "This is my home…well _was_ before…" He paused to look at Riza's perplexed face. He knew he was just confusing her. He thought a moment, before saying, "Sit down. I want to tell you something."

---

"I was able to escape to Bale and that is where Isabelle found me," Tristan finished his tale and turned to Riza, wanting to see how she reacted.

Riza looked at Tristan then at the ground. "So you're saying that Winglies attacked your home when you were younger looking for the dragoon spirit?" _That's why he didn't seem happy when he told us._

Tristan only nodded.

"Why didn't you…"

"Tell you before?" Tristan replied completing her sentence. "I don't know, I guess I just wanted to keep the memories of my family."

"So that's why you don't like Vector." She turned to Tristan. "But how do you know if he was one of those Winglies that attacked you village? Isn't that a bit unfair to judge Vector like that, just because…"

"I know you're right," Tristan replied, slightly ashamed. "But you have to understand, every time I look at him, look into those _red_ eyes of his, I can't help thinking of the Wingly that I saw that killed my father…"

They sat in silence for a while, before Tristan spoke again. "I guess we should be heading back." He got up and extended his hand toward Riza. She took it and he pulled her up.

As Tristan began to walk, Riza ran to his back and hugged him. "You know I'm always here if you want to talk right?"

"Yeah…"

"After all, we demon children have to stick together," Riza said, laughing a little.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ah I finally posted Chapter 5, kind short, but it's still a chapter! Chapter 6 will be coming up pretty soon. Don't worry fans, action is on its way, just be a little patient! Remember to R&R. The more reviews, the faster I post my stories! :)


	6. Lohan

**Disclaimer**: I think you people already know that I don't own the Legend of Dragoon, but I do own all of the made up characters, so please don't use them without permission. Like Jesus says: "Ask and it shall be given unto you." So, just ask…I will most likely say yes…maybe! :)

**Author's Note**: This also has history in this chapter, please don't get mad! It still has some action though! Also there will be use of 'another language'. It is basically taking the middle letter(s) of a word and putting it in front of the word. For example: "Rae oyu urht?" means "Are you hurt?" If there is one or two letters then it's just the regular word like "I" or "me" is the same in the other language. Get it? If you don't I've placed translations at the end of the chapter!

Italics mean the past in the beginning btw.

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 6**

_It was winter in Deningrad, Mille Seseau. A teenage girl sat in a street corner, clutching her worn-out coat. She was alone and hungry. She couldn't go back home, her father said that her presence would only cause stress to the family and she would just be another mouth to feed. Her brother however got to stay and eat as much as he wanted, well the little that the family had anyway. She didn't find that fair, but she did it for the sake of the family. She thought about getting a job, but she was a girl without education and not much skill, besides that she was considered too young to be even working._

_Kublia shivered as a strong wind passed through. It felt as if it blew on her naked body. She cupped her hands and scooped some dirty snow from the ground. She pressed it to her blue lips, opened her mouth and ate it. How long has it been since she had eaten a real meal?—three…four days? She couldn't go on like this; if she did she will be as good as dead in a few days._

_She got up and started to sneak around the back of the Item Shop. Maybe its garbage might be kind to her and spare her something to eat. As she was digging in the black bags she heard voices. She hid and stayed absolutely still. Three men were exiting the back of the shop. They were dressed strangely; they looked like they were birds dressed in rags. One of them, who looked like the head guy, was tossing a dagger up and down, while the other two were laughing at something the other said. Kublia eyed them carefully; could they possibly be bandits?_

"_Are you sure that that old vendor is right about this thing? Could it be that valuable, Morpheus?" one of the men asked._

_She noticed that the one tossing the dagger, Morpheus, pull out a red object. From what the girl could see, it looked like an old arm guard._

"_Who cares?! If we sell it in Lohan, we'll be bound to get something for it at the antique shop."_

_It was that valuable? Maybe if she could get a hold of it, she could sell it and not starve this winter…_

_Kublia hugged the floor as she crawled toward the men. The alley behind the shop was dark; she could get the arm guard and flee. She used the shadows as her cover as the three men were conversing. She reached upward to the arm guard which was hanging loosely from the bandit's pocket._

_Slowly…_

_Slowly…_

_Got it!_

_Kublia grabbed the treasure, and without a second thought began to run. The swift movement caused the men to stir. After the realization of what just occurred, they began racing after her._

_The girl ran as fast as her feet could take her. Tears trailed the side of her eyes. She had finally realized what she had done: she had stolen goods from __**armed**__ bandits. If she didn't return it now the bandits would likely subdue and kill her. But she couldn't just stop; she had to keep going. Her feet were cold; her shoes were wearing away with every step she took. She could hear yelling behind her, but she knew that if she looked back she would falter._

_Kublia reached the gates of the city and ran into the Evergreen Forest. She had hoped that the trees would give her the advantage and aid in her hiding. However, running on the unbalanced ground caused her to fall hard. Her pursuers soon caught up with her and surrounded her._

"_Give us the goods babe, and we won't hurt you...much," Morpheus laughed as he bent down to her level. He placed the dagger to her neck and she gasped._

_A fountain of tears cascaded from Kublia's eyes. She was going to die all because of her foolish, spontaneous stunt. She held the object tightly. She didn't understand why she wouldn't let go of the stupid thing._

_Morpheus rolled his eyes. "Look, wench I'm growing real impatient wit ya. Now give me the arm guard, or I'll slit your—what the fuck?"_

_SWISH!_

_Kublia looked up and saw that one of the bandits had an arrow to his head. The man fell to the floor. Another arrow flew toward them and shot the other lesser bandit; however he began to turn to stone. His cries were piercing as his body, all the way to his head was covered, until he became nothing but a silent statue. Morpheus pushed Kublia to the ground; his other comrades were dead and he wouldn't let their fate be his own. He began to run out of the forest, when a dark cloud hovered above him pouring black rain. Morpheus screamed in agony. From what Kublia could see, his skin seemed to be deteriorating. It wasn't long after that he fell to the ground dead. Would she be killed as well?_

_A cloaked figure appeared before her. Kublia crawled backward; something about its presence seemed dark, and it frightened her. The figure knelt beside her and extended its arm._

"_Please…please don't kill…me…" the girl said between sobs. She shivered as a cold hand touched her right cheek. She turned to meet a pair of large emerald eyes. She soon realized that her 'savior' was a young male. His skin looked as white as the snow, and his hand was as cold as it, Kublia noticed._

"_Rae oyu galriht?"_

"_W…what?" The teenager couldn't understand what he was saying. Could he possibly be from a different country?_

"_Rae oyu urht?" A pale hand lifted the young girl to her feet. "Acn oyu alwk?"_

"_Please, will you just let me go?" she pleaded. He let go of her hand and took off his hood. She gasped when she saw his large pointed ears and long green hair, causing her to drop the very thing that put her in this dilemma._

'_He's a Dark Elf!' she thought, eyeing him once again._

_He quickly picked up the item. "I onw't arhm oyu," the elf stated, giving it back to her. Kublia took the arm guard and held it close to her chest. "Omce."_

_She looked at the elf; she felt as if he was telling her to come with him. What did she have to lose?_

_**Nine Years later...**_

_"Ti's wsnoing, ti's wsnoing_

_Lal veor hte aplce_

_Hewn I olok up_

_It lfals in my acfe..."_

_The child hummed as she walked along the path in the forest. She drew back her head and opened her mouth, allowing the snowflakes to fall on her tongue. She giggled as the cold particles melted on contact. It was noon and despite the cold weather the warm rays of the sun radiated down to the forest._

_The little girl skipped down the path back home. Lunch time was approaching, and she didn't want to miss it. As she approached her home deep within the forest, she heard a faint sound of voices from behind her. Her large ears perked up, and she turned to the direction where the voices were coming from. She turned and walked slowly for she didn't want to be detected._

_She soon arrived and saw a large animal attached to what looked like a wagon. Never seeing such a creature before, the young girl slowly walked toward it. Taking caution she reached her hand to it, and a wet tongue licked her palm. She giggled, and petted the animal's head. The young child was so enchanted by her new companion, that she didn't notice two men behind her. When she did, it was too late; one of them grabbed her by her right arm. _

"_Well, well, well, what do we have here? An elfin girl, no doubt," the man said swinging her effortlessly. _

"_Tosp! Elt me go!" the young girl cried. The man's grip was hurting her. She tried to pull her hand free, but her efforts were in vain._

"_Hey Wiley, look at that thing on her arm!" the other pointed out. Wiley grabbed the girl's left arm and examined it. _

"_It's just an arm guard, Manwell."_

"_But look at all those markings; it could be historic. We might be able to sell it at the antique shop in Lohan!" Manwell explained excitedly. "Then we can sell the girl. I've heard Geri's been looking for a new servant, if you know what I mean!" _

"_True." Wiley examined the arm guard once more. "Manwell, try to pull it off," he ordered. Wiley grabbed the girl from the belly and held her close to his chest. "Now stay still."_

"_ELHP! EL--AHHH…!"_

"_Wiley, it isn't coming off!" _

"_Then pull, __**harder**__!"_

_Manwell gasped. The arm guard wasn't coming off at all. "Man, It's like that thing is attached to her," he said rubbing his sweaty brow. "You know what, how about we just charge Geri more, and just get the heck out of here." He suggested to his companion._

_Wiley nodded and punched the girl, knocking her unconscious. _

**Present Time: Four Years Later**

"Wow, so this is Lohan?! It's so lively," Riza said as the group entered the city gates.

"Lohan is a commercial city in Serdio," Derrick explained. "People from all over Endiness come here. If we want some information, then this is the perfect place to get it."

"But isn't Lohan like the place of ultimate fun?" Riza asked as she ran deeper into the city. She turned to her friends. "How about we play some games before we leave, hmm?"

Tristan rolled his eyes. "You're such a child."

"I am not," Riza retorted, sticking out her tongue.

"We need to see if we can gather intelligence about the Wingly that escaped the Castle the other day, Riza. This is a very serious matter that cannot be taken lightly!" Derrick said, sternly.

"How about we just let Riza have her fun for a bit? We have traveled for a few days, and a little entertainment once in a while could be good. At the same time we can still gather information and meet up at the inn before sundown." Vector suggested.

"Thank you Vector," she said smiling. Tristan only snorted.

"I guess you're right," Derrick agreed. "All this traveling has made me a bit tired; I guess a little relaxation wouldn't hurt."

"Alright! Come on Vector, I heard there is a Carnival in town today." Riza grabbed the Wingly's arm and dragged him

Tristan's eyes narrowed as he watched the two walk away. He wasn't quite sure why he was suddenly frustrated, but he knew that there was no way he was going to leave Riza and that _Wingly _alone.

"I'll see if anyone knows anything," he told Derrick, walking toward the direction where his two other companions left.

Derrick stood by himself; everyone had just left him behind. "I guess I'll go to the inn and get our rooms ready."

* * *

Riza and Vector walked through the throng of people at the Carnival, as they made their way inside. They brought tickets and played various games. But, despite all the fun she was having, Riza couldn't help but think of…

"Are you alright, Riza?" Vector asked, noticing that she was in a daze. She looked up and smiled at her companion.

"What?" She hugged the stuffed frog that Vector won for her. "Thank you for winning this for me."

"Stop trying to avoid my question. You would prefer that it was Tristan who was with you, don't you?"

Riza's face turned red. "What?! Tri…no, no. No! I'm enjoying the time that I'm having with you. All that idiot does is make fun of me! Tristan is a jackass!"

"Right…" Vector said, not sounding the least convinced.

"Enough about him, how about we go to the tournament? I would love to enter, wouldn't you?"

Vector only coughed. "I feel that my opponents would be at a disadvantage since I am a Wingly and all…"

"Oh, right," Riza sighed, disappointed. _Tristan would've joined with m…What am I thinking? Agh I have to get him out of my head! Stupid!_

"How about I cheer for you in the stands? Would you like that?" Vector asked, noticing her sadden mood.

Riza's face lightened up. "Really? Great, let's go!"

They left and headed toward the Arena toward the southern end of the Carnival.

At the registration desk, the receptionist, Ginger, was explaining the intensity of the competition:

"Hey, if any of you people out there are live fast die young types, and want to test your courage, step up and fill out the application! My advice, to those of you who are feeble, cowards, or have cold feet, is don't register. I guarantee you will die. So you'll register now?"

"I'm participating," Riza said.

Ginger raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to die, missy?"

"No!"

"Do whatever you want. The Arena isn't responsible for death of any of the applicants; it says so on the application."

"I'm not going to die," Riza said sternly, a little annoyed at the receptionist's attitude.

"Whatever. Just finish the application and when you are ready, go to the waiting room."

Riza wrote her name and the weapon that she would be using and entered the hall where all the other contestants were waiting. She felt a little awkward, since she was the only girl and the youngest one there. Everyone else was large males with the look of death in their eyes, but Riza didn't let that intimidate her.

"What is a puny girl doing here?" said one of the men. He was large in both height and width, and was holding a large axe.

"Isn't obvious? I'm here to win the Heroes Competition!" Riza said.

All the men in the room laughed.

"Is this chick, serious?" said another.

"Stop laughing," Riza screamed, but her anger only made the men laugh harder.

"Never underestimate the power of a woman," said a soft voice from behind her. Riza turned and saw a tall man with a lean build, who seemed to be in his mid-twenties. He had shaggy, shoulder length, scarlet hair, a goatee, with small, clear, blue eyes. In his hands, he held a large bow and a barrel of arrows.

"No matter how the opponent looks, he or she is still an opponent, and shouldn't be taken lightly," the man continued. He turned to Riza and smiled. "Am I right?"

Riza stood there. She was surprised that someone finally taking her seriously when it came to fighting.

"'Shouldn't be taken lightly'? What the hell do you know?" the large man challenged. He walked toward Riza and turned to the man who was speaking before. "You don't even look like a fighter. What is your weapon? That feeble bow and a couple of arrows? Ha! You're pathetic!"

"I guess I am," the man responded, shrugging. "But we should let the Competition be the judge of that."

The large man snorted and with one more look at Riza and the other man, he took his seat.

"Thanks," Riza said. "But your kind gesture doesn't mean that we are friends! We are enemies in this competition!"

"But we are not in the ring, yet," the man pointed out. "Oh my name is Kish Myer, by the way. What about you?"

"Riza Feld," she responded, shaking his hand. Their introduction was cut when Ginger entered the room.

"Gents and Miss! The time has come to decide the strongest in Endiness! Enter the arena when you are ready!! Round One is a match between Omar from Fletz and Riza Feld from Seles. Good luck contestants!"

As the two entered the ring, Riza could hear all the cheering above. Their cries were so loud, but she couldn't let that distract her. Her objective was to study her opponent, find his weak point and take him down! Her opponent, Omar, was the large man that had insulted her from before.

"You're joking right? What kind of competition is this?" he asked the crowd, getting them riled up. "They expect me to fight a weak child; where is the challenge in that?"

The crowd began to protest, agreeing with Omar. The workers in the arena tried to calm them down.

Riza went into fighting position. She would not let this person humiliate her! She immediately charged at him, but he easily tossed her aside. Riza tumbled, but rolled back up. The man wasn't wearing much armor, but despite the fact that this man was huge, he was anything but slow. Riza went into the defensive as Omar swung his axe at her. She dodged the attack and swiftly ran to the other side of the arena, but Omar caught up with her quickly, much to her dismay. After a few minutes of dodging, Riza noticed that it took Omar time to lift his axe, since it was so heavy. Not only that, he seemed to be getting tired and frustrated.

"Hold still, you stupid bug," he ordered as he swung at Riza again. She knew what to do.

"Where are your word's now, big man?" she taunted, jumping out of the way of another attack. "Can't catch liddle ol'me?"

The taunting was working as Omar charged toward Riza in fury. When he lifted his axe, Riza swiftly swung her swords, cutting his face. The man screamed and dropped his weapon. She took her opportunity and kicked Omar in the shins, causing him to fall hard to the ground. He was about to get up when Riza placed one of her swords to his neck. She bent closer and whispered in his ear, "You lose."

Omar was stunned, along with the rest of the crowd. Suddenly a wave of applause started. Riza bowed.

The next two rounds ended very quickly, though they were very challenging. Riza felt like this was more of a mind game then an actual match. No one expected her to make into the semifinals, let alone the finals itself, but there she was in the waiting room getting ready for her final match.

"I told them not to underestimate you," said a familiar voice from behind. Riza turned and saw Kish smiling.

"So you made it to the finals too, Kish?" Riza asked; well more like stated the obvious.

"Yep, so it's between you and me, little lady. May the best one win."

Ginger soon entered the room. "Here is the gong to determine the strongest! No time for holding back anymore! The crowd is on the edge of their seats!" She turned to Riza. "I'm surprised you made it this far. I was wrong about you. Well, may the best of you win!"

Kish left for the ring, but Riza lingered behind a bit. She was happy, no ecstatic that she actually made it this far. What would her father think of her now? She laughed at the thought, but her mind drifted elsewhere. She was grateful that Vector was up in the stand cheering her on, but a small part of her wished that maybe Tristan could see this. What would he say?

_Oh I know what he would say. He would be all like: "Riza, you're such a beast! Is there something that you're not telling us? Are you really a man trapped in a woman's body?" And he would laugh, and I would clobber him for making such a stupid accusation…_

Riza sighed. Maybe Vector was right; she did want Tristan there to see what she accomplished, to cheer for her and tell her that she did a good job. But that wasn't going to happen. She suppressed her thoughts and entered the ring.

Ginger was speaking on the loud speaker now: "This is it folks, the moment we have all been waiting for. Who will come out the as the victor of this final round? It all rests on this fight. Who will take the crown?"

The crowd cheered as both Kish and Riza came to the center of the ring. Riza drew out her swords.

"Don't go easy on me just because I'm a girl," Riza teased.

"Oh believe me, I won't."

And so the battle began. Riza ran toward Kish before he could draw his bow, but she missed.

"You're fast, but not fast enough," Kish said as he drew an arrow and shot it at her. It meticulously hit Riza's left shoulder. She stumbled, as she dodged another arrow. She pulled the arrow out of her shoulder and saw the blood stain her tunic. She breathed heavily. Her arm hurt so much, but she had to focus. She brandished her swords and began to swing it at him again, thrusting left and right. Kish shot an arrow at her again, but she used her sword's crossguard to deflect the arrow. However, just as quick, Kish quickly ran to her. Using his bow, he hit Riza on the head.

Riza began to feel very light headed. The more she moved her arms, the more blood that flowed. Her vision began to get fuzzy. She somehow needed to get the upper hand. But she felt so tired, so weak…

She shook herself, and dodged another arrow. It seemed like the sky was raining with them! She tumbled and leaped as fast as she could, but one of the arrows hit the back of her thigh. The pain was so much! She fell to the ground. Kish aimed an arrow to her head. Riza sighed. There was no way around it; she was defeated.

The crowd cheered as Ginger went to the ring.

"The Competition is finally over. Wow, this was really a great match. In first place we have the Archer from Donau, Kish Myer." The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he received his reward.

"Second place is the unexpected Female Fetal, Riza Feld!" Again the crowd cheered loudly.

"And in third, Quinton Fraser! Thank you folks. Until next year!"

---

"Wow that was something! I learned a lot during those matches," Riza explained to Vector as they left the Carnival.

"But are you sure that you are okay?" Vector asked again.

Riza laughed. "I'm fine. If I can't take this, how do you expect me to handle any of the _real_ threats in the future? I'm determined to get better and apply what I learned here on the battlefield!"

They both walked to the inn where they were staying and told Derrick the good news.

"Great job; I'm so proud!" He gave her a tight hug, until Riza began to cough. He let go and ruffled her hair. "Really, you are becoming a great warrior!"

Riza nodded and noticed some papers spread across the bed.

"What are you doing?" Riza asked, pulling a chair closer to see.

"I'm seeing what routes we can take to get to our destination," Derrick explained. "Though, maps were never my thing." He chuckled.

"Let me have a look at it," Vector suggested, taking the map out of Derrick's hands. "I know we have to go to Fletz to ask the king permission for passage into the Valley of Corrupted Gravity, but after that we'll have to travel north to get the other dragoon spirit, correct? Hmm…If we plan to go to Mille Seseau we'll need to go by sea, since that is the fastest way to get there. In order to do that we'd have to buy passes to board the Queen Fury, which docks in Donau, Tiberoa, I believe. That means when we leave Lohan, we'll have to travel to Fletz to get food, walk through the Barrens, and enter…"

Vector was writing all over the map and mumbling to himself. By the time he finished, Tristan had returned.

"Did you find anything?" Vector asked without looking up from the map.

Tristan ignored him. "After asking around, some travelers said that they saw a person flying in the sky heading north approximately 27 hours ago. I presume that she is the woman that we are looking for!"

"Do you think that she knows where the other dragoon spirits?" Riza asked. "I mean she seemed to know that Uncle Albert had one. Do you think…?"

"It is possible," Vector injected. "From what I gathered, she seemed to use the bandits as a distraction to draw us away from her true goal of getting the dragoon spirit from the king. The question is when and where will she strike again?"

Tristan flopped on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "My question is why she didn't come with a whole army like last time?" he thought out loud.

"What?" Derrick asked. "An army? An army probably wouldn't have been a good strategy especially in such a large, well protected city like Bale. There would've been numerous unnecessary casualties."

Tristan grunted. Riza looked at him as he shifted in the bed.

"We have to get there before she has a chance," Riza said. "We should sleep now so we can leave as soon as the sun rises. That way we can make it Fletz by the afternoon, get the King's permission to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity to talk with the bandit leader."

"Good plan," Derrick agreed.

"Do you think that bandit leader will help us?" Vector asked.

"I doubt it," Tristan responded, pulling the covers over him. He turned around and was soon fast asleep.

"Even so, it is still worth a shot," Riza said.

It was mid-afternoon when they all went to bed. It was the middle of the night when Riza suddenly woke up. She wasn't quite sure why, but she felt a little stuffy in her room. She went outside to get some fresh air.

The night was young and the moon was glowing. Riza stretched her arms in the air and sighed. She wondered how her father was doing all by himself. Did he miss her? She missed him. She wouldn't admit it, but a part of her was homesick.

Lost in her thoughts, Riza didn't notice a young girl running toward her. They soon collided and fell to the ground. The girl quickly got up and continued to run.

"Wait!" Riza cried after her.

_What is she running from?_

Not long after, Riza saw a fat man, with rosy cheeks and curly blond hair. He held the leaches of two hound dogs. It looked as if he was following the girl.

The fat man noticed Riza standing there and pulled the leaches of his dogs.

"You there, have you seen an elf? About this high, with short green hair in pigtails?" he asked, making the gestures of the girl's height and hairstyle.

Riza shook her head. "I haven't seen an elf, but…" She put her finger on her chin as if she was thinking. "I did see this young girl not too long ago. She headed about north-east from here…"

The fat man walked away grumbling. "Stupid slave, think you can escape from me?"

After he had gone, Riza quickly ran back into the inn and shook Tristan awake.

"Wake up!" she ordered hitting him on the head.

"Wha…?"

"We have to find this girl, before the fat guy does. Come on!" She pulled Tristan from the bed and dragged him outside.

"What girl? Fat man? Riza, what the hell?" Tristan asked. He was annoyed that he was awoken from his slumber.

"We have to find this girl, who is about this high with short hair in pigtails. We have to hurry before that guy comes back!" Riza started to search in the inside the giant vase by the back of the inn.

"Agh!" Tristan sauntered over and looked up at the roofs of the building around them. He noticed movement from above; he squinted his eyes and saw someone. He used a barrel and climbed to the roof. There, he saw, who he presumed, the girl that Riza was looking for. She had jade colored hair and large amber eyes. Not only that, she appeared to be very skinny and diminutive looking.

"Hey, kid," Tristan said, extending his hand to her. "Let's get you down."

"Go away…" she mumbled.

"What?" Tristan couldn't really hear her.

"GO AWAY!"

A bright red light emerged from the girl and hauled Tristan off the roof to the ground below. He clutched his side. Riza turned and ran toward him. Using this opportunity, the young girl leaped from the roof and ran into the inn.

Riza, while helping Tristan, ran in after her, but when she entered the young girl was nowhere in sight.

_Where could she be? We only want to help her…_

"What's all the commotion about?" Vector asked, rubbing his eyes.

"A little girl just ran in here. We have to find her!" Riza explained, looking under the beds.

Vector turned and scanned the room. "Or she could've gone out the open window over there." He pointed to the window and Riza ran to it, sticking her head out.

_If that's the case, then she's a fast runner! _Riza thought to herself, not seeing any trace of the girl.

"Since we are basically all up anyway," Vector said, shaking Derrick awake. "We might as well get ready to leave; it's almost sunrise!"

Riza sighed. "Okay, I guess…"

"Wait, you're kidding right? We're leaving _now_?!" Tristan couldn't believe it. He had barely gotten any sleep due to the fact that it takes him about two to three hours to finally relax and go into slumber-mood. He groaned loudly to express his annoyance, but no one seemed to notice, let alone care. He walked lazily toward the closet to collect his things. Opening the door, he noticed a small huddled figure by the corner; it was the young girl from before! She glanced up and glared at Tristan with eyes filled with anger and hate, yet there was also a small hint of fear in them. For some reason, he couldn't help but pity the girl.

"Come on out," Tristan said gently. "We're not going to hurt you."

"I don't want to go back," the girl answered. She started to sob quietly.

Tristan smiled, and embraced the girl in a hug. "You won't have to go anywhere you don't want to."

Riza turned to Tristan, noticing that he was talking to himself. "Tristan, are you alright?" she asked walking towards him. She gasped when she saw him carrying the young girl in his arms.

The girl quickly hid her face, burying it in Tristan's shirt. He patted her head.

"It's okay, she's a friend," Tristan explained. He carried the girl, cradling her in his arms. "So what's your name?"

"…" The girl looked around, realizing that there were more people in the room. She looked at the floor and squirmed a bit. "…Kylin. My name is Kylin." She looked back up at Tristan.

"What about …you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Tristan." he stated plainly.

"And I'm Riza!" Riza injected, abruptly, causing Kylin to jump a bit. "Sorry about that!" Riza laughed.

Tristan placed the young girl down on his bed.

Kylin hugged her knees. "Please, don't make me go back…" Tears began to stream down her face.

"Go back to where?" Derrick asked.

The young girl looked around cautiously, as if afraid to let anyone else hear her. "Geri," she whispered.

"Geri?" Tristan and Riza asked in unison.

"You mean the fat man from before?" Riza asked.

Kylin nodded.

"He's my master," Kylin stated.

"Master? As in 'slave master'?" Vector asked. Kylin nodded. "But slavery was banned since the end of the Dragon Campaign," Vector explained.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Just because it was banned, doesn't mean people still don't practice it!"

"But the law is the law!" Vector retorted. "How could he have gotten away with such a thing?"

"You seriously don't know? You really are ignorant!" Tristan shot back. "Honestly, and I thought you were part of the _smarter_ race."

"That's enough!" Derrick ordered, rubbing his temples. He hated it when those two bickered for imprudent reasons. He turned to Kylin who was just staring at them. He knelt down and smiled at her. Looking at Kylin reminded Derrick of his own children. "Can you tell us how you became a slave?"

The others also faced Kylin, wanting to hear. Kylin nervously looked around, and then looked at her feet.

"It happened about four years ago when I was wandering the forest. I was by myself, I knew I should've gone home, but I didn't. Suddenly these two men kidnapped me and sold me to my owner." Kylin started to sob. "I just want to go home, but I don't know where it is."

"Do you have any recollection at all of where it might be?" Riza asked.

Kylin sniffled and wiped her nose. "All I can remember is the smell of pine trees and how cold it was."

"Are you an elf, by any chance?" Vector asked, finally noticing her ears.

Riza turned to him, remembering that the fat man had said something about an elf. She turned back to Kylin, who nodded at question asked of her.

"My father is an elf, but my mother is human," she said. Remembering her family made Kylin sad. They must be terribly worried; maybe they thought she was dead by now.

"Well the only cold place would have to be in Mille Seseau," Vector concluded."And since you told me you were an elf, well at least part, that only supports my theory. You are most likely from the Evergreen Forest!" Vector smiled, happy at his accomplishment.

"Smartass," Tristan mumbled. _That Wingly sure likes to rub his knowledge in everyone's face!_

Vector glared at him.

Riza rolled her eyes. For once, she wished they would stop arguing about every little thing!

"In any case, you are free now. Why don't you come with us?" Riza suggested to Kylin.

"You're joking right?" Tristan asked. "No, don't answer that; I have a feeling that you aren't."

"It's dangerous for a young girl like her to wander off by herself. She could be kidnapped again, or worse, get killed! Besides we are going to Mille Seseau anyway," Riza argued.

"Great, we've come from being warriors to babysitters." Tristan shook his head. "I know you have a good point, but let's be real about this. We are planning to go into a layer full of BANDITS, and you want to bring a _child_ there with us? We won't be able to protect her and at the same time watch our backs!"

"I'm not a child!" Kylin injected finally. These people were talking as if she wasn't even there! "I'm 13 in human years and I can defend myself!"

"Then it is settled. We'll head for Fletz and ask King Zior for passage into the Valley of Corrupted Gravity; and Kylin _IS_ coming with us," Riza said smiling at her. Kylin smiled back.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Chapter 6 has been completed! I hope you liked it. And so the adventure continues. I love writing battle scenes, it seems like you're there! XD

I didn't make up the song/poem that Kylin sings; I only twisted the words to make it for her language. I got it from library., so whoever wrote this poem, thank you.

Here are the translations that I promised:

_Rae oyu galriht_ = Are you alright

_Rae oyu urht_ = Are you hurt

_Acn_ _oyu_ _alwk_ = Can you walk

_Omce_ = Come

_Elhp_ = Help

_Tosp! Elt me go_ = Stop! Let me go

The poem translates as:

It's snowing, it's snowing

All over the place

When I look up

It falls in my face

Thanks for the reviews my faithful readers. Next up, Chapter 7. Bye y'all! :)


	7. Valley of Corrupted Gravity

**Disclaimer**: Well, I will admit that I don't own LOD, cuz if I did say I owned it, it would be a downright lie! And I don't think my buddy, and Father, the Big Man Upstairs would appreciate that. That is the reason for this disclaimer…and the fact that I don't want to get sued or whatever…

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the delayed post, man I can't believe it is December. Brr…it's cold, but I will write for the sake of my readers and to prove to my sister that I can start a fanfiction and actually finish it! I didn't feel like studying today, so I decided to finish the chapter.

Thank you **Ribbis **for the review; I'm glad you enjoy reading my fic. BTW, your story is really AWESOME!

Oh I also want to say one more thing: HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY FREDLYN! YOU ARE THE AWESOMEST BIG SISTER EVER AND THANKS FOR HELPING ME DEVELOP THIS STORY TO MAKE IT BETTER! LUV YA! ;)

Anyway, on with the chapter.

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 7**

"Cover your vitals, Kylin! As much as you want to protect your face, it will be nothing if you are dead!" Derrick instructed as he brandished his weapon at the young girl. He twirled the spear in the air and pulled it down. Kylin used her large shield as a buffer to block the attack. Using the shield as cover, she ran toward the knight and crashed into him, causing him to stubble a bit. She then took her shield, aimed, then released it, as if it were a boomerang. The speeding weapon missed Derrick by only an inch. He let out a needed sigh and wiped his sweaty brow; that was a little too close for comfort! He then went over to retrieve the shield that had finally landed on the ground.

"Very good," he praised, smiling. He handed the shield back to Kylin.

The young elf's face gleamed with pride. She looked down at her shield and stroke it gently. The weapon was round and large, covering most of Kylin's petite frame. It was silver, with red rims, and gold decoration surrounding a picture of the Divine Tree. Derrick had recommended Kylin get some sort of armament before they left Lohan since she was to accompany them on the journey. That morning Derrick went to the Weapon Shop and purchased the shield. The girl was slightly disappointed at first when she saw it. She had hoped that Derrick would've brought her something like a sword, dagger, anything that she believed was an actual weapon. However she figured that the knight knew what he was doing and grew to love the circular weapon.

Since their departure, Derrick had taught Kylin ways to use the shield in both defensive as well as offensive situations. He was pleased to discover that Kylin was a fast learner and obeyed every order that she was told. Not only that, she was quite strong despite her diminutive appearance. He had feared that the shield would possibly be a little heavy for her to carry since she was smaller than the average 13 year old human, but luckily he was wrong.

Derrick watched as Kylin ran to Riza with the look of achievement in her face, and she rightfully should! She was a pretty decent fighter, given the amount of time that he had trained her in. A frown formed on his face and he stopped walking. He wondered how his family was doing. He missed them terribly! Were they alright without him? There were many times that he had to leave his family in service for the King, but this time it was different, and he feared that maybe he would not return alive…

He shook the doubt out of his mind and joined his other companions as the entered capital city of Tiberoa.

* * *

"Fletz is the city with faith in the stars and advanced astronomy!" Vector explained, observing the star shaped objects on the top of many of the houses.

Tristan rolled his eyes. "We aren't here for a history lesson, Smartass!" He wiped the sweat from his brow and fanned himself with his hand. "Damn, it's hot here!"

"Tiberoa is a country that is warmer than that of Serdio, which is what you are used to," Vector said. "I on the other hand knew this and changed my clothes before we left Lohan. I guess being a "Smartass" pays off!"

Tristan growled. "You know wh--"

"Wow, look at the water!" Kylin said interrupting them before they could argue. She rushed over to the bridged. Grabbing the edge, she leaned forward gazing at her reflection. "It is so clear," she stated leaning to touch the flowing river.

"Be careful Kylin! You might fall," Derrick said. His voice was coated with worry as he walked over to her and grabbed her waist, pulling her back.

Kylin pouted her lips, but smiled up Derrick. She was happy that someone was actually genuinely concerned for her safety. Derrick reminded Kylin of her own father's worrying when they would go hunting in the woods.

"Yes sir," Kylin said.

Riza shook her head, watching the interaction between Derrick and Kylin. He was such a parent, but she figured that it was good for Kylin to have an adult watching over her since she was deprived of it for so many years.

They headed toward the castle which was guarded by a giant gatekeeper, who held a large sword. He reminded Riza of her father's friend, Kongol the Gigantos. Derrick stepped forward, taking charge of the situation.

"We seek an audience with His Majesty, King Zior," Derrick plainly stated.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let strangers go through here," replied the gatekeeper.

Vector stepped forward and pulled out the notice that was sealed by King Albert. "It is urgent business; we were sent by King Albert himself!"

"How do I now that you aren't bandits?" the gatekeeper inquired, eyeing their weapons and their dirty clothes.

"Let them through, Liam," a female voice explained. A woman with long blond hair that was pulled in a high ponytail dressed in a long orange and yellow gown came down from the Twin Castle. She placed her hand on the gatekeeper's shoulder. "It is alright, Liam; they are friends."

The gatekeeper, Liam, blushed. "Ye-yes, Princess Lisa." He stepped aside and the princess walked to the travelers.

"The stars foretold your arrival. Come, follow me to the Chamber of the Sun." Princess Lisa smiled and they followed her up the stairs into the Castle.

Riza noticed that the Twin Castle was very different than Indels Castle in Serdio. The obvious difference was the structure of the chateau. It had two towers protruding out of the pedestal of the castle and each tower twirled upward toward the sky. They entered the throne room which was covered in red carpet with gold covering every rim and in the center was the image of a sun.

Princess Lisa went up the stairs and took a seat on the empty chair to the left of her father, which was to the right to her husband Nello.

The five travelers bowed low when they arrived. King Zior stood up; he was a cubby man, with blond hair just like his daughter.

He looks quite overdressed despite ruling a country that had such a warm climate, Riza thought.

The Tiberoan king looked around and smiled, making his fat, red cheeks look even bigger. "Welcome again to Tiberoa! "The seven stars arose from the East to save the country of the king who lives in the Chamber of the Sun. You have returned for a visit I see; you have waited quite a long time!" He looked at his guests again. "Do my eyes deceive me…I see there are only five of you…?"

Princess Lisa stood up. "Father, these aren't the same warriors from before."

"Oh, indeed," the king laughed. "What is your req--"

"Mother! Fester is being mean again!" A young girl with long curly blond hair barged into the throne room.

"Lyra, please," Princess Lisa hissed, but the girl paid her mother no mind. Instead she looked at the visitors and a grinned formed on her face.

"Oh, are these my possible husbands?" the girl asked. She looked at one each of the three men.

"Too old," she said looking at Derrick. "But cute."

"You're cute, but your eyes are WAY too freaky for me," Lyra said, passing Vector without a second glance. Vector gasped.

"Oh, this is the one!" She grabbed Tristan's arm and pulled him forward to her grandfather. "I want him; he's perfect!"

"Uh…"

"Lyra, please behave!" her father, Nello, ordered. "These men aren't here to court you?"

Lyra pouted her lips. "What? Why not? I'm old enough! I'm fifteen, turning sixteen in a few weeks!" She cuddled her cheek against Tristan's arm. "It is love at first sight. How can you deny the girl the love of her life?"

"We are here to request permission to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity," Riza said, not letting her eyes off the young princess and Tristan.

"Lisa, I think I heard the young girl say the Valley of Corrupted Gravity," King Zior said wondering if he had heard correctly.

"Yes Father, that is what the young woman said."

"We need to talk to the Gehrich Gang and the only way to get to their headquarters is through the Valley of Corrupted Gravity," Vector said, getting up and stepping forward. "We were sent by the King of Serdio."

"Ah King Albert! Oh I haven't seen him or Emille since the birth of the twins. How are they these days?" King Zior asked.

"Your Majesty this is urgent business that King Albert believes needs to be dealt with!" Derrick snapped. They all turned and stared at Derrick. He sighed. This matter was of the utmost importance and the Tiberoan King's procrastination could possibly be hurting instead of helping their mission! He bowed to the monarch before him. "Forgive my hasty tongue Your Majesty, but time is of the essence and we need the pass to enter the Valley of Corrupted Gravity."

King Zior nodded. "All is forgiven young man. You understand all the risks. Fine. Servant! Bring the pass for them."

A guard walked up and handed Derrick the pass for the Valley of Corrupted Gravity.

Derrick bowed again. "I appreciate this, Your Majesty."

Princess Lyra looked up at Tristan. "You aren't going with them are you?" As she watched Tristan give a slight nod of the head, her eyes began to water and released her hold of him. "Why! That place if full of bandits. You'll get killed."

"Well he has to, by order of the King of Serdio!" Riza suddenly blurted out. Her face suddenly felt hot, and for some reason she just wanted to slap that brat of a princess!

The young princess just stuck out her tongue. "Neh!"

"Agh!" Riza bowed before King Zior before turning on her heel and storming off.

King Zior laughed. "Someone looks like she needs to cool off. It is late already. Why don't you relax in the castle?"

Vector shook his head. "We cannot rest until we find the Gehrich Gang."

King Zior nodded. "I understand. Be careful."

---

Riza stood at the entrance of Fletz as she waited for her companions. She crossed her arms and sighed, thinking of what had occurred only a few moment ago.

_Why did I storm out like that? That was so disrespectful. What is wrong with me? Maybe I should go back and apologize._

"Yo," said an oh too familiar voice.

"What do you want?" Riza asked, glancing at Tristan who stood, uninvited, next to her.

"You seem pissed, just came to see if you were going to kill anybody." he plainly stated.

"I didn't know you were into those types of girls," she said randomly, thinking out loud.

"Huh?"

"You looked pretty clingy with Lyra back there," Riza said looking at the city. What am I saying?

"Clingy? She was the one who attached herself on me," he said defensively. He paused for a moment. "Why do you care which type of girls that I like?"

_I don't know…why do I care?_

"I don't," Riza lied. "I'm just saying…"

"Saying what?"

"I'm just stating what I saw!" Riza snapped. She quickly walked out of the city.

_What is her deal?_

Tristan watched his friend, contemplating whether or not to follow her.

An elderly man laughed behind him. "That time of the month I see!" the old man said, giving Tristan a toothless grin. "Better not follow her. Women at this time get really deadly."

Tristan smiled as the elderly man left to do his business. He waited for the others to come and they left for the Valley of Corrupted Gravity.

* * *

It took about four hours of walking, but they had all eventually made it ot the gate that led to the Valley of Corrupted Gravity. The gate didn't look much like a gate at all, but rather a large wall of rock.

"I'm sorry, but this gate is blockaded by the ordinance of King Zior! I cannot let anybody not having a pass issued by the Court pass through," a young Tiberoan guard stated.

Derrick stepped forward and showed the guard the pass.

"Oh, excuse me sir! This is a pass for the Valley of Corrupted Gravity!!" The guard said, flabbergasted. He turned to the guard above him. "The gate, open the gate!"

The earth shock as the wall of rock opened. The guard turned to each of the travelers. They looked like an odd group of people, and he wondered why they would ever want to go into Gehrich territory. He shook his head.

Better them, than me, he thought.

"Over there is the territory of the Gehrich Gang! If that's not enough the gravity is warped! Advance with caution."

And with that word of caution, they entered the Valley.

"Why is this place called the Valley of Corrupted Gravity?" Kylin asked looking around. "It looks like a bunch of floating rocks!"

"Floating rocks goes against gravity, Kylin," Vector said, ducking his head as a rock flew by. Kylin giggled.

"It still has the backwash from the Dragon Campaign. The collision of magic power of the Dragoons and Winglies can distort nature quite a bit." Vector explained.

"You Winglies sure know how to fuck things up." Tristan commented as he jumped onto a rock. When he did, it started to move and situated itself onto the ledge of larger rock. He then hopped again onto another rock and it moved him toward higher ground. He turned to face the others.

"We better get going; the sun is already setting."

His companions followed his lead and they reached the top and journeyed into what used to be the Home of the Gigantos.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Oh trouble in paradise! What will happen to Riza and Tristan? Another chapter done! I can't wait till I finish writing chapter 8, you guys are going to love it! Well, I love it, but I hope you guys will too.

There is this story that I would like to advertise however, fanfiction is being stupid and would let me write it out so I have to put spaces in between the letters. Anyway, this story is good, but lack reviews, check it out.

f i c t i o n p r e s s . c o m / s . s / 2 6 0 4 3 9 2 / 1 / T w i s t e d


	8. Bandits

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own LOD, but I own all the made up characters, cuz I made them up!

**Author's Note**: I'm a little sad that nobody reviewed the last chapter. :( Muy triste! But, I still posted another because I really wanted to write this. So anyway on with the chapter. Stu and Lani, this chapter is for you guys! XD I hope you like it!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 8**

"Take cover!"

On entering the Home of the Gigantos the travelers were greeted with a rain of arrows, which was immediately followed by laughter. Four bandits, standing at the top of the gate looked down at their 'visitors.'

"I don't know what you want, and how did you manage to get all the way here!?" One cried, pointing an accusing finger at them. Another smiled deviously, licking his knife.

"We should play with them a little!! Hehe!"

"Yo, don't kill'em! That's what our boss said!!"

"Why don't we stomp them till they hate being alive!! Haa Haa Haa!!" The bandit turned to his comrade who nodded at him.

"Shoot 'em!!"

And the storm of arrows continued. Kylin used her shield to protect herself, while the others cut the arrows offensively. Derrick hissed as one of the arrows landed on his shoulder. He knelt down, grabbing his wound, feeling the warm blood run down between his fingers.

"That is enough!" A female bandit approached the others. She had short amber colored hair and fierce hazel eyes. She grabbed an arrow from one of her comrades and snapped it in two. "Crayk wants to see them."

"But Lani I wanna have some fun!" the bandit whined.

"Stop whining! You have your orders." She turned to the other bandits. "Well? Open the gate!"

At her command, the mighty gate opened. She jumped down, landing in front of the travelers. "Follow me."

Blindingly, they obeyed and followed the female bandit. She led them to a cave.

"Hey, Blondy," she said pointing to Derrick. He raised a single eyebrow before stepping forward.

"In there are Rock Fireflies," she plainly stated. Derrick nodded, understanding. Rock Fireflies had healing power, and they were especially helpful in the battlefield. He went inside and watched as the small bugs surrounded him; their soft humming echoed in his ears. Then the pain in his arm started to subside, until finally the wound was completely healed. He sighed and exited the cave where the female bandit and the rest of his companions were waiting for him. She nodded and they continued up the stairs into the bandit leader's chamber. It was a vast room with a torches on every corner. In the center was a lone throne with a cross protruding on the top and there sat Crayk, waiting patiently for his guests.

"I was hoping you would all come visit. Welcome to my humble abode," the bandit leader, Crayk said smiling, twiddling the daggers in his hands. He had straight brown hair, and a long side bang that covered his left eye; however it didn't obscure the eye patch that he had.

"We have no time for your nonsense! Tell us where the hell that Wingly bitch is and we'll--"

A flash of silver passed Tristan's cheek. He wiped his face and gasped as he saw a warm red liquid flow between his fingers. He turned and saw a dagger fastened to the wall. He glared at the bandit leader.

_That bastard!_

"Temper, temper," Crayk said, shaking his head. "Is that anyway to speak to the King of bandits? Is this the kind of respect you show to the kings of Serdio and Tiberoa? I'm surprised they haven't hanged you for that."

Tristan growled as Riza stepped forward. "We have just come here to ask about the Wingly woman you were working with, that is all. If you have any idea where she could be, please tell us."

Crayk looked at Riza for a moment, then got up from his chair. He started walking around, playing with the other dagger in his hand.

"2000," he simply stated.

"Excuse me?" Derrick inquired.

"The information I have seems quite valuable to you. So 2000 gold coins…" Crayk walked back to his chair and took a seat. "…from each of you."

"What?! Two thousand from each of us? Where are we going to get that kind of money?" Riza blurted. This man couldn't be serious! He and his crew of bandits had already stolen a good portion of King Albert's treasury and now they wanted _more_?!

The bandit leader shrugged. "You seemed to have good connections with the King of Serdio, I don't think he would mind giving you the money…unless…" His eyes scanned over his guests.

"I'll give you all the information you want if I get to keep her," he stated, pointing his dagger at Kylin.

"What?" they all asked in unison. Lani, who stayed by the door, only shook her head.

He quickly rose from his seat and flipped over his visitors, landing gracefully by the young elf's side. He hugged Kylin tightly, almost smothering her.

"What do ya say? Fair deal, right?"

Kylin looked at her friends, who seemed to wear the same perplexed face she was wearing. What did the bandit leader mean, 'get to keep her'? She was no toy that one could possess and then discard! She pushed the man who held her away.

"I will never be anyone's slave again!" she screamed, abruptly.

Her face was hot with fury and anger; and her eyes narrowed. Who did this man _think_ he was? Just because he held information and money, he thought he could 'keep' her?! The audacity!

The bandit leader looked down at the young girl. "Slave?" He bent down to her level and smiled. "Now who would ever do such a horrible thing like that to a cute girl like you?"

Immediately Kylin flushed, turning her head away. This time it was not from anger, but from embarrassment. No one had ever said she was cute before. She looked back to the bandit leader, whose smile only grew wider.

"How about this? I give you the information you want if you give me a kiss," he pointed to his right cheek. "Right here."

This caused the elf's face to grow redder. "I…uh…" This was a joke wasn't it? This man couldn't be the _bandit leader_.

"Come on, don't be shy. I don't bite."

Kylin looked at her friends, then back at the man before her. Hesitantly, the young elf gave him a small peck on the cheek and quickly pulled away.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Crayk gave the girl another hug. "So, cutie, what's your name?"

"…it's…Kylin," she said looking at the ground.

"Well Kylin, since you did as I asked, I will give you the information that you desire. Come." Crayk took the girl's hand and led her to his throne. He sat down first, before placing the girl on his lap.

Lani laughed. "Ah, Crayk, King of bandits, has a soft spot for kids." Crayk shrugged.

"What can I say? She's adorable!" He looked at Kylin, before returning his attention back to his guests. "The woman that you seek is no longer here. She was a temporary client who only needed us as a diversion from her real objective." He turned and noticed the green orb that hung on a chain around Derrick's neck. He smiled. "Apparently she was unable to retrieve it."

"That doesn't tell us anything about where _she is_!" Tristan growled.

"Well, you know that she is _not here_!" Crayk replied. He turned to Kylin, who only frowned. "But, I do know that she _isn't_ from the Evergreen Forest."

They looked up, interested in the new information.

"As you all _should_ know, most open Winglies come from the Evergreen Forest, which is Northeast from here, or at least directly north from Serdio. However this woman departed Northwest from here, maybe to Deningrad, perhaps. Her definite location is something I don't have." He turned to the white haired man before him. "Why don't you ask him?"

"She is not an associate of mine!" Vector snapped. He paused, took a deep breath, and mulled over the information that was given to him. "Well, we are going to Deningrad anyway, maybe the Queen could give us anymore clues."

"Thank you. Your help is greatly appreciated." Riza replied bowing.

"_Finally_ you show me some respect," Crayk said. "But, as cute as you are, I didn't do it for you." He hugged Kylin once more.

Tristan rolled his eyes.

"Since it is already nightfall, why don't you stay the night?" the bandit leader suggested. He set Kylin to the ground and got up, ushering his guests to follow him. He walked to the right corner or the room, pulled the lever walked down the stairs that appeared before him. They entered a vast room with several beds that were already made. "You will be staying here for tonight. But you," he turned to Kylin "will be staying with me…if that is okay with you?"

The girl nodded, which only made Crayk beam. They all returned upstairs to find two men walk in. Crayk groaned.

"Not them again."

He led Kylin to the chair, but instead she ran behind Crayk, holding onto him. He looked down at her to find her trembling. He patted her head. "Don't worry," he reassured her. "I won't let them hurt you." He turned to his guests in front of him.

"Wiley. Manwell. What do you want?" Crayk asked. His voice was calm, but mixed with a bit of annoyance.

One of the bandits, Wiley, stepped forward. "I heard that the crew had invaded the Indels Castle. I just wanted to see if you made it out safely."

Crayk rolled his eyes. "What you want is money! Bandits work together as a family. We risk our lives to survive! Isn't it odd that you two always seem to conveniently come when the danger is done?"

Wiley looked at the bandit leader, before his gaze went to the child behind him. It was a female, but had green hair and slightly pointed ears and was glaring at him. He chuckled. "I didn't know that we were keeping pets."

"Watch what you say, Wiley!" Lani snapped.

"Shut up _bitch_! You don't even belong here," he pointed his finger to Crayk. "You're just here because he _paid_. And he's only here 'cause his father was the original Gehrich gang leader!

"Wiley, get out! I'm not giving you any money. So _leave_." Crayk's patience was finally beginning to thin.

Wiley only snorted. "Some of us were just want a true bandit leader, not some wimp who opens doors to strangers." With those words said, Wiley and Manwell left.

Crayk let out a needed sigh. He turned to his other guests, who had just watched the transaction occur. "Sorry you had to hear that. Some people aren't always grateful. In any case, you are welcome to stay, just be sure to keep one eye open and one hand on your purses. I may be the bandit leader, but I don't control their actions."

He turned to Lani. "Why don't you show, Kylin around? I need to get some air."

"Sure," Lani replied, taking the girl's hand. "Come on." Obediently, Kylin followed.

When the bandits left Tristan scowled.

"I don't trust him."

Vector nodded. "I, for once, agree with Tristan."

"We can't be too sure," Derrick said placing his hand on his chin. "Perhaps he has some ulterior motive?"

Riza looked at the ceiling, before sighing. "He seems good, and Kylin likes him. We'll just have to keep an eye out."

---

"And if you squint hard enough, you can see Donau the Flower City," Lani explained pointing forward. She and Kylin both stood at the top of the large gate that guarded the bandit hideout. "The view is beautiful from up here isn't it?"

Kylin squinted her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if she could actually see the flower city from where they were, but the view was breathtaking nonetheless. "Yes, it is!" The young elf paused. "Why are you being so kind to me? I mean you're bandits after all."

"Not all bandits are evil. We do what we need to survive." Lani smiled at Kylin. "We are just rejects of society. We were poor and 'uneducated' with no future." She turned to Kylin and smiled.

"Crayk is a really good guy. Weird, but he is the most selfless person I have ever met. You know, when I was younger, I had lost everything. My parents, brothers, everything. I wandered Tiberoa, wanting to just die and end it all. Somehow I found my way into bandit territory…"

_The young girl walked around the large room. Torches surrounded the vast chamber and a large throne was in the center of the room. "Hello?" she said her voice echoing. No one was there. She walked over to the end of the room where she slipped. She screamed as she slid and tumbled down the stairs. When she finally landed, a flash of yellow blinded her eyes. She rubbed them and gasped._

_"Gold!" she whispered. What was this place? Surely this was not the Tiberoan king's gold, for that was kept in the Twin Castle. Could this be…_

_She started to back up toward the staircase. She turned and gasped when she saw two men before her. Their attire was unmistakable. They were bandits! She stumbled backward and slipped on the coins on the floor. _

_"Well, well what do we have here? A little girl has found our gold." One of the men bent to her level, placing a dagger by her cheek. Her eyes widened as the bandit snickered._

_"You pretty eyes have seen too much. How about I cut them out for you?"_

_"Please…I didn't mean…I didn't take anything, I swear!" Tears flooded out of the girl's eyes. Why didn't she die like the rest of her family that caught the pestilence that spread in her town? Why did she have to live? She shut her eyes tightly._

_"Enough!" _

_The girl opened her eyes slowly, and noticed a boy, who looked no older than she was, had placed himself between her and the other bandit. _

_The bandit cussed. "Crayk! I was just fixing a problem. No need for you to interfere." _

_"'Problem' you say?" The fourteen year old bandit leader's blue eyes looked from the bandit before him to the other that watched from the stairs. "What seems to be the problem, Elliot?" His voice was calmed and stoical. _

_"This girl has seen our gold!" Elliot accused, pointing at the girl. "You know the penalty for such a thing." _

_"Indeed, I do know." The boy turned to the frightened girl behind him, then back to Elliot. "Give me your dagger." _

_The bandit did as he was told and gave the young leader the weapon. _

_"The cost for entering bandit territory and seeing where we hide our gold means that one of your eyes must be plucked out," Crayk said to the girl. The girl only cried more. "However, if someone else pays that penalty for you, willingly, you are free to go." He placed the dagger toward his eye. The girl gasped as she watched the young man before her pluck out his own left eye. He opened the other bandit's hand, placed the eye in his palm, and closed it. _

_"I have willingly paid for this girl's freedom. Now leave her be!" _

_The other bandit looked at the bloodied orb in his hand and looked back at his leader. He only nodded before departing with his companion by the staircase. _

_The boy's eye was streaming with blood. He turned to the girl, who only stared at him. He smiled._

_"You are free to go now. No one is going to hu--"_

_"Why?! Why did you do that? You…don't even know me!" _

_Crayk shrugged. "I don't know." He got up and extended his hand to the girl. "So, what's you name?"_

_The girl looked up at the boy, and took his hand. She gave him a weak smile. "Lani." _

"Ever since that day, I never left Crayk's side. I have never seen someone be so selfless to a stranger. I just knew that he was different from the other bandits."

"Wow," was all Kylin could say. She watched as the wind blew a leaf in the air. She had never heard of someone who willingly hurt themselves to help a stranger. This Crayk wasn't so bad after all.

Lani smiled. "You know, you look a lot like Crayk's younger sister."

Kylin looked at female bandit. "Sister? Where is she now?"

"In heaven I hope. She died three years ago. Man, that girl was Crayk's world! That could be a reason why he is so fond of you."

Kylin nodded. Maybe not all bandits were like the ones that had kidnapped her.

* * *

The sun had finally set and the moon took its place as guardian of the sky. The stars took their places, shining their light.

The bandits grumbled and complained. They sat together in front of the mighty gate that led into their home. Wiley stood up.

"I can't take this foolishness anymore!" He shouted. "We have been following this fool for six years. He thinks that just because his father was the former leader that he can control us!"

The other bandits nodded. One bandit injected. "He even let strangers into our home and they didn't even have to pay. All he wanted was a kiss. A kiss!"

The riled up bandits agreed. "Then let's get rid of him once and for all!"

---

Crayk watched as the young girl next to him lie in slumber. He sighed. What was he doing? Aria was dead and yet he could help it. He couldn't help it that every time he looked at this girl, he saw his little sister. A sudden movement caught his eye. He got up quickly with his dagger in hand. He looked around.

Nothing.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that there were uninvited guests in his room. However his thought were interrupted when he felt something hit his head. Then everything went dark….

Crayk woke up to find himself on the ground tied up, like a hog ready to be eaten. He saw that Kylin was also trussed. He was relieved that she was unharmed. Soon they were surrounded. He cussed. He should've known.

"For six years. Six years I have taken care of you and this is the thanks I get?! You will regret this!" He glared up at his former followers.

Wiley knelt down beside him. "What we regret is the fact that we let a weakling like you order us around." He slapped Crayk across the face.

"Stop! Please, don't hurt him!" Kylin screamed.

Wiley directed his gaze to the young girl. He smirked, as he grabbed her by the shirt. "I thought I remembered you from somewhere." The girl's eyes narrowed. "She's the litle elf that we sold to Geri a while back. I guess she didn't please him as I thought she would." He threw her to the ground, as the other bandits laughed. "Get to the other 'guests' I don't think we ever gave them a welcoming party."

* * *

Above the gate one bandit watched quietly. She departed quickly, down the stairs into the guest room.

"Get up!" she ordered, shaking the female warrior.

"Huh?"

"I need your help."

* * *

"They ain't in their rooms, Wiley," Manwell said, returning.

"Hmm, it seems we still have a rat in our midsts." Wiley looked around, but saw nothing. Yet he knew that she was there. That bitch warned them.

"No matter we have you," he said reverting his attention to the battered bandit leader. "I will make your death quick and-"

"Now!"

Wiley immediately looked up and watched as Lani and the 'guests' had dropped in. "So you are coming to us. How convenient."

Lani ran to Crayk and Kylin, cutting the rope that bound them. Crayk rubbed his sore wrists and glared at Wiley who only laughed.

"You think that what…seven of you can beat us?" He looked around. "There are dozens of us. What do you think you are going to do?"

"Numbers aren't everything," Crayk replied. He turned to Lani. "Cover me." She nodded as he ran to open the gate.

"Run! Run you stupid coward." Wiley cried, laughing even harder. He turned to his companions. "Let's finish them."

* * *

"Where is it?" Crayk ran into his room, opening the drawers. He flung his clothes everywhere until he found what he was looking for. He grinned. They will regret the day they crossed Crayk Gehrich!

* * *

"There is so many of them." Riza said. Every time she hit one bandit, another would immediately take his place. She wanted to use her dragoon spirit, but she knew she couldn't. These were humans with no defense at all. She didn't want to kill them, just knock them out. But the throng of bandits seemed never ending!

"So you are all against me?" Crayk's voice inquired from above. He jumped down from on top of the gate, landing gracefully beside Lani. He looked at his former comrades. "I'm giving you one last chance. Decide now, who you chose to be your leader." None of the other bandits moved.

"They have chosen a stronger leader, me," Wiley said smugly.

Crayk shrugged. "Suit yourselves." He retrieved an amber colored orb from his pocket. It began to shine brightly. The ground began to shake violently and two large rocks emerged. They slammed into Crayk. Then there was silence…

"The idiot just killed himself!" Wiley laughed. However his laugher was cut short when he heard the rock begin to crack. Slowly a line formed on the rock, then another and another, until it finally busted open. The dust subsided revealing Crayk, however he was dressed in golden armor and had a pair of large sea blue wings that flapped vehemently. His eyes narrowed as he watched his former companions gasp.

Tristan groaned. "You have got to be kidding me!"

**

* * *

****Author's Note**: Well that is Chapter 8. I enjoyed writing this one. I hope you liked it. R&R to see what happens next! :)


	9. Golden Earth

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Legend of Dragoon, but I own this plot, and most of the characters of this fanfiction.

**Author's Note**: I know I haven't like posted since the end of December, and now it is almost the end of February! O_O But I had stuff to do and school is bogging me down with all these hard classes, but I finally was able to finish this chapter. Agh, I have a headache. I've been trying to post this chapter since last night, but fanfiction says there was a technical glitch in the login, so I would've had it up a little sooner. Thanks again for the reviews and the love folks. Now, read!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 9**

The night was now rolling into day. As the sun made its way above the horizon, its rays extended causing the golden armor to glisten. The glimmering light was blinding and Wiley shielded his eyes. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He wondered if the humid air was causing his eyes to play tricks on him. He rubbed them, hoping what stood before him was a mirage and he would see the weakling that his former leader really was. However when he looked again, it was still there, golden armor, wings and all. Wiley, wide-eyed, stared at Crayk. _What on earth is he wearing? _He looked at the five 'guests' around him. They looked as shocked as he was but there was something else in their eyes, and Wiley couldn't figure out what it was.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" He laughed weakly, hoping that the others would laugh as well, reassuring him that this was no threat. Some chuckled, but the amusement soon died down. He turned to Crayk, whose brown eyes had narrowed so that they looked like slits on his face. Wiley couldn't help but feel frightened. However, he didn't want to let his men think that he would turn back, after all, he was now the new bandit leader and he had to prove to his followers that he was strong! He brandished two daggers and readied himself for combat.

A small smirk formed on his lips as he watched his former followers shake in fear. Crayk extended his dagger, which was enhanced due to his transformation. "This, _friend,_ is no joke." His brown eyes immediately turned golden and he felt the dragon's power in him. He lifted his weapon and then plunged it to the ground.

"GRAND STREAM!"

The earth cracked and a stream of broken rock and soil flowed to where the bandits were standing. The bandits shrieked as the ground began to split under their feet. Some fell into the earth while others tried to escape. Waves of heat erupted from the severed ground, surrounding them in a dome. The torrid atmosphere soon subsided as the spell began to wear off.

Crayk walked toward the remaining bandits, who were quivering in fear. Among the 'lucky' survivors was Wiley. His eyes were so wide that they could just jump right out of their sockets. As the dragoon approached, Wiley began to back away. He tried to scurry off, but Crayk grabbed him by the back of his collar. He was now face to face with his former leader. Tears were streaming from the bandit's eyes and snot was running from his nose, he even believed that he had leaked in his pants. Such demeanors in the bandit community were shameful, but due to the current situation, it seemed that now none of those rules mattered.

"Pl..ease…" he begged. "Forgive me for… ever doubting…" It was hard for him to talk with the mucus clogging his throat.

Crayk narrowed his eyes. "I could very well kill you." He grabbed his hostage's face and turned it toward the open earth in front of them. Still holding Wiley by the collar, he and hung the perfidious bandit above the severed land. "I should throw you into that bottomless pit so you can finally kiss your beloved, Hell!" He slowly began to let go of the fabric, and he watched as Wiley screamed for mercy, but his cries fell on deaf ears; Crayk remained unfazed. The traitor would soon meet his end…

"Stop!"

He felt a pull on his left arm. He looked down and his eyes immediately softened when he saw her.

_Aria…_

"Please don't hurt him," Kylin begged. "Don't become just like him!" Her eyes were red and her face was stained with tears when she looked up at him. _No, Crayk don't_, her eyes pleaded. She hoped that he would understand. She had every reason to want Wiley dead as well. It was he that had _kidnapped_ her, took her away from her family and _sold_ her into slavery, but she knew that killing him would not be the answer. She pulled harder on Crayk's arm.

A thought struck the earth dragoon's mind. She was right! What he was about to do would've completely turned him into a monster. He realized that now, but that still didn't mean that he was going to let the treacherous bandit off so easily. "I guess the Divine Tree is on your side today," he said sardonically. He pulled Wiley up and positioned him in front of Kylin.

"Apologize!" he ordered.

"I'm…sorry…" Wiley said between sniffles, looking at Crayk.

"Not to me!" He pointed to the young girl in front of him. "To her." He threw Wiley to the ground. "Bow and apologize, NOW!"

The bandit did as he was told. "I'm sorry…please forgive me…" Kylin sighed and nodded.

He turned to the other bandits. "And as for the rest of you lowlifes, get out," he stated coldly. "I don't ever want to see your sorry faces again!"

The bandits quickly departed, counting their blessings. They left with no questions asked, in fear that they would meet the same fate as their other companions. Some that scurried away thanked Soa for watching over them.

Crayk sighed as his dragoon armor began to disappear. It had finally come to an end. For some reason he felt somewhat relieved. He looked down at Kylin and patted her on the head.

"Thank you," he simply said.

The girl smiled and nodded, happy that she could help.

Riza stepped forward. She was quite bemused by the turn of events, but she was glad that everyone was alright. But something still puzzled her.

"But…how?"

Crayk turned his attention toward her. "How I got this?" he asked lifting up the orb. "A Giganto…a friend of my father's master gave it to me."

Riza nodded, understanding that the 'Giganto' must have been Kongol. "So, you are a dragoon," she stated. That meant that Crayk would now join them on their quest for the Wingly that seemed to be threatening Endiness. That meant two more spirits!

The former bandit leader looked at the amber orb in his hands. He shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Huh?" Riza asked, confused. She hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth. The others looked at him as well.

"You can't say that you aren't a dragoon. The spirit _chose you_," Vector injected, although he wasn't quite too pleased with the dragoon's spirit choice of a master. He was still a little peeved that the bandit leader had accused him of being an associate to the woman that had broken into the castle. However, putting his feelings aside, he knew that when a dragoon spirit chose its master that one's fate was sealed…unless the individual died that is. "You can't just deny your destiny."

"Hn, 'destiny' you say?" Crayk looked at the ground and nodded. "I've thought about it long and hard and I realized that I'm just not cut out to be a dragoon. I'm a bandit; it's in my blood! Besides I make my _own_ destiny!"

No sooner those words escaped his lips, the glowing orb became dormant. Crayk smirked.

"See? Even the spirit knows that I have rejected it." He bent down to Kylin's level and placed the orb into her hands. "Take good care of it, okay? Until you find the _real_ owner."

"Where will you go?" the girl asked. Tears were starting to form in the back of her eyes. She couldn't help it. She was glad that the dragoon spirit _had_ chosen Crayk to be its master. That would've meant that he and Lani would travel with them. However, that was not meant to be. She wiped her eyes as unwanted tears escaped.

Crayk stood up and smiled. "To the place of my birth. Where the trees are green and luscious tropical fruits grow!"

"We're going to Rouge," Lani translated.

He turned to her and frowned. "Thank you for killing my creativity."

The female bandit rolled her eyes. She too was glad that it was all over, but she had one more task needed to be done. She walked over to Riza. "Hey, Riza, was it? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure…?" Riza replied, uneasy, as Lani pulled her aside.

"Is Blondy available?" Lani whispered.

"'Blondy?'" Riza gave the female bandit a perplexed look before gasping. "Derrick?"

"Yeah, 'Derrick', whatever. So is he?"

"Sorry, a wife and two kids," Riza said, faking a rueful expression. She raised a single brow, quite humored by the situation. She wasn't quite sure why, but a part of her couldn't take the question seriously. She never looked at Derrick in a way other than a mentor or a father figure. The thought of anything else was just…strange.

Lani snapped her fingers, disappointed at the information that she had just received. An affair would cause too much drama, drama that she was _not_ willing to deal with. "Oh well, it was worth a shot."

There was silence after that. "I guess this means goodbye." Kylin sniffled, looking at Crayk.

The bandit pouted his lips. "You say goodbye as if it's final. I know!" He removed a necklace that was around his neck and placed it over Kylin's head. She touched the stone that hung at the end of the necklace. It was an oval shaped aquamarine gemstone. She looked up at him, about to protest, but he covered her mouth. "I always come back for what is mine, so you should say, 'Until we meet again!'"

Her amber eyes gleamed and she nodded. "Until we meet again!"

"That's more like it!" Crayk replied happily. He turned to the other dragoons and laughed. "Now stay out of trouble, or I'm going to have to come back and rescue you guys…again."

Lani retrieved several small balls from her pocket and threw onto the ground. The balls busted and smoke engulfed the two bandits. When the smoke subsided, they were gone, vanished into the air.

Kylin clutched the precious gemstone in her hand, and squeezed it tight. _Be safe…_

Riza looked at the ground, and frowned. After walking two steps forward, they had fallen ten steps behind! Although they had acquired the earth dragoon spirit before the Wingly woman did, the chosen master resigned from the responsibility before he even had a chance to take it. _That's bandits for you! _

Derrick noticed her expression and patted her back. "Don't worry, just you wait. The spirit will choose a new master."

The 16 year old looked up at her friend and sighed. "I hope so."

"I didn't like him that much anyway," Tristan mumbled as he kicked a small rock. He was thankful that the dragoon spirit had left the former bandit leader. Crayk annoyed him almost as much as the Wingly did, if not more. The both of them on traveling with him would've been a nightmare!

Vector nodded in agreement. "Truly." He sheathed his katana and sighed. "We better get going. We need to head to Donau so we can make to Mille Seseau, maybe before nightfall."

They agreed and departed for the Flower City.

* * *

They arrived in Donau a little before the afternoon. When they entered the city, a little girl no older than eight years old, curtsied.

"Welcome to Donau, the Flower City," a young girl said.

It undoubtedly deserved the name 'Flower City'. Every inch of the town was covered with them! Beautiful arrays decorated front lawns and buildings. The sight was utterly amazing!

"Wow!" Kylin cried out as she ran farther into the city. Kneeling down, she picked up a yellow flower from the ground and sniffed it. "They're so pretty!"

Riza knelt down beside her. Her eyes scanned over the colored plants. She noticed a bush of lilacs to the right and picked one of the purple buds. She twirled the stem, rotating the flower completely.

"_And these purple ones are called lilacs," her mother said pointing to the set of flowers to the right._

"_Pretty," a five year old Riza reached forward and felt the soft petals._

"_Here, try this on." Her mother set her down on the floor and revealed a circular arrangement of many different flowers._

"_Wow a crown!" the little girl said excitedly, watching as her mother placed it on her head._

"_Yes, a crown fit for a princess." Her mother smiled and placed a soft kiss on her cheek._

"_I'm a princess!" The small Riza danced around the flower shop. As her father walked in, she ran up to him. "Look Daddy, look at the crown Mommy gave me!" _

She smiled. Those were one of the very few memories that Riza actually had of her mother. Her father had always told her that she and her mother were a team, they could never be separated. She couldn't deny it; she missed her mother and longed for her touch. She sighed and placed the flower in her pocket.

"If I recall correctly, I believe the dock is over there," Derrick said, snapping Riza back to reality. The others had already started walking ahead of her. She jogged a bit, before she was able to catch up.

"You've been here before?" she asked the knight.

"I was stationed here many years ago," he replied. "We had to protect a cargo ship going to Mille Seseau from bandits or any other thieves. It was nothing big really."

A short while later they reached the dock where a massive vessel resided. Riza gasped. She had heard that the Tiberoan naval fleet was impressive, but this ship was breathtaking. It didn't even look like a ship at first glance. In fact it looked more like some sort of military weapon!

Derrick walked over to the ship and spoke with one of the sailors, asking if they could see Commodore Puler.

"Ah mate, don't you know? Commodore passed two months ago," the sailor said, hanging his head.

"We are sorry to hear that," Derrick replied. "Who is in charge now?"

The sailor looked up. "Oh, Kayla has taken over for Commodore now. Captain Kayla, a feisty woman whose heart belongs to the sea! I'll go get her for you." He raced inside the ship and returned shortly after with a woman, about in her late 20s or early 30s. She had tan skin and mustard colored hair. On the top of her head she wore a large hat with a feather on top. She eyed the travelers in front of her.

"I was told you wanted to speak with me?"

"Ah, yes. We were wondering if we could buy boarding passes onto your ship. We need to get to Mille Seseau right away…"

She raised her hand, interrupting the blond knight. "Sorry, but all activities have been delayed due to the festival."

"'Festival'?"

The female captain nodded. "Yes, every year there is a Flower Festival, thanking Soa for the granting us the ability to grow flowers in such a stifling climate. If you want to board the Queen Fury or any ship for that matter, you'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"I see, thank you." Derrick replied politely before turning to the others.

"So what do we do now?" Kylin asked.

"Well we could check out this 'Flower Festival'," Vector proposed.

"I want to see more of the flowers!" the young elf said, excitedly. Flowers weren't things that really grew in her old home and Lohan barely had any due to all the shops and trading. Seeing so many colors at once was both overwhelming and wonderful!

"Why don't we break up into two groups," Derrick suggested. "I'll show Kylin all the sights and you three can do your own looking around. We'll meet at the inn after sunset."

Tristan grunted, disgruntled with the idea, however his complaints remained unheard. So, they separated. He was pleased, however, when Vector wandered off into the chapel, saying that he would meet up with them later. Tristan walked with his hands behind his head and elbows extending outward, following Riza. He watched as she pointed out almost every individual flower, giving its name and possible usage. It was strange; he had never seen this side of her before, he never thought her to be the 'flower girl' type. But here she was spilling knowledge that could almost challenge the Wingly's. He was glad that he was able to spend this moment with her.

She picked up a plant from the ground and rubbed it in her hands. She sniffed it and ushered him over. A part of her hand was green, due rubbing the plant on her skin. She told them to smell her hand. Tristan raised a single brow, but did as he was told.

"Well?" she inquired.

"Smells like lemon…?" he said, unsure if that was the answer she wanted him to say. She nodded.

"Good! I guess your nose isn't only trained to know if something smells like jerky." Her lips curled into a smirk.

"Very funny." His voice, however, not at all tainted with humor.

"Anyway, this is lemongrass," she said pointing to the plant. She went on her knees and Tristan followed suit.

"I thought lemons grew on trees," he said looking at the tall green leaves.

"Lemons _do_ grow on trees. This is _lemongrass_, an herb. They just smell like lemon. It is really good for making teas and stuff like that. Brew it with some mint and ginger and your nastiest colds go away in less than two days, guaranteed!"

Tristan nodded, impressed. "You don't say?" He turned to her. "Where did you learn all this stuff? I didn't know you liked flowers so much."

"My mother taught me," she replied, almost gleefully. "She owned a flower shop back home and would teach me all about them."

He nodded, understanding. He glanced to the right and noticed a certain purple flower to the side. He dug the dirt and pulled it from the roots. Examining the plant he noticed that the forked roots looked almost like a small human, well at least in his opinion.

"Alright, since you know so much about flowers and plants, what do you call this thing?" He handed it over to her. Almost immediately she replied:

"It's a mandrake."

"So, what's it good for?" he asked.

Riza turned away from his gaze. "I don't know," she lied.

"You're a bad liar, you know that?" One thing that he knew about Riza was whenever she lied; she would always try to avoid eye contact, to make herself feel less guilty. At first he wasn't interested in knowing about the flower, but the fact that she wouldn't tell him only made him want to know. "Well?"

"It is said to have magical powers…" she mumbled, looking toward the ground.

"What kind of powers? Come on, just tell me!"

"I don't think that is really important," she said getting up from her kneeling position. She could feel her face getting hot. She hoped she wasn't blushing, but it wasn't her fault! Of all the flowers to choose from, he had to pick a mandrake. A _mandrake!_ Not only that, he asked what it was _good_ for! She knew exactly what it was good for, what 'magical powers' that people in the past (and even now) believed it had; but she couldn't say it, not to _him_. How was she supposed to tell him, with a straight face, that the mandrake was a flowering plant that was thought to give _sexual powers?_!

"Fine, don't tell me," Tristan said, annoyed. He placed the odd plant in the ground and covered the roots with soil. He got up, brushing the dirt off his pants. "I didn't want to know anyway!" He walked over to her and noticed that her face was turning pick.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine!" she quickly said. "I'm just hungry, that's all."

He contemplated on whether or not to just accept the lie—she was avoiding eye contact again. In the end, he decided that he would. No need to ruin a good day.

They walked into a small restaurant that was located in the eastern part of town. Taking her seat, Riza opened her menu, and scanned the list of choices. She watched as Tristan ordered chicken curry with rice. When he looked up at her, she averted his gaze and looked down at her menu. She decided to order a _bouillabaisse, _a fish stew that was famous in Donau, and a loaf of bread. They waited in silence for their meal to be served. The waiter arrived and placed the food on the table.

"That will be 50 gold coins," he said, scribbling something on a small notepad. He turned to the female and squinted his eyes at her.

"Riza?"

The girl looked up, hearing her name. She gazed at the waiter before her. He had shaggy, shoulder length, scarlet hair, a goatee, with small blue eyes. His face looked so familiar…she gasped.

"Kish! Oh right you are from Donau," Riza said, recalling what the Lohan Arena announcer had stated. "How is everything?"

"It's been good."

As their conversation progressed, Tristan felt excluded. His eyes narrowed; annoyed that Riza had completely ignored him. She didn't even introduce him to her 'friend'. He cleared his throat, causing the red-haired waiter to look up.

Kish motioned his head toward the black haired boy sitting across from her. "A friend?"

Riza nodded; she had forgotten that Tristan was still there. "Yes. Kish, this is Tristan. Tristan, this is Kish; I met him during the Hero's Competition in Lohan."

"Pleasure to meet you," Kish said, extending his hand for Tristan to shake, which he politely did. He turned to both teenagers. "Are you here for the Festival?"

"I guess we are," Riza said, shrugging.

"You're going to love it!" he said. "There is a Lotus Dance later this afternoon by the dock. It's a really big event in Donau. You should go see it."

"Are you in any of the events for today?"

"No, just working here. A lot of people from all over come to the Festival so there are more customers to serve than usual. But my wife is."

"You have a wife?" Tristan asked, raising his eyebrow.

Kish nodded. "Yes, she is one of the singers." He looked up when one of the other workers called his name. "Well, better get going; duty calls."

"Oh here," Riza said as she dug into her pouch for the money bag. She handed him a small sac that had about 50 gold coins. "For the meal."

"The meal's on me," Kish said, smiling. "Have a great day!" And with that he left, before Riza could even protest.

"That was really nice," she said as she put the money back into the pouch.

"Hard to believe it was _him_ who won the Hero's Competition," Tristan said. He placed the fork in his meat, and swirled it around his plate, trying to gather as much sauce as he could. "You would've never guessed that guy could use a bow the way he did just by looking at him." He placed the food in his mouth and began to chew.

She took a sip of her soup. "Yeah, I know. I had to fight…" She paused, looking up at him. "How did you know that Kish won the Hero's Competition?"

"What are you talking about? You told me, remember? After you got back." His gaze implied that she was asking a foolish question.

"_No_…I told _Derrick_ that I won second place, I never told him who won first." She pointed her spoon at him. "Besides you came like 20 minutes after I went to the inn, and I told Derrick as soon as I got there. There's no way you could have heard me." Her brown orbs gazed into his green ones. His face remained unchanged. She looked over to his ears which were turning red. She smirked. "You're a bad liar, you know that?"

"I think you just have a bad memory," he simply stated, reverting his attention back to his food.

"Right," she said rolling her eyes. A smiled formed on her face. _So he was there_. The thought made her glad, though she wondered why he hadn't told her before, or openly went with her to the competition. She continued drinking her soup, satisfied with knowing that he had silently supported her.

It wasn't long after their meal that the two teens met up with Vector, much to Tristan's dismay. Vector began spurting information (Donaun history to be precise) that he had learned from his touring and visit at the church. The black haired boy looked at the Wingly and rolled his eyes. Soa, did he ever shut up?

It approached late afternoon and the sun's light started to dim in the west. The three companions headed toward the center of town to where the inn was, when they noticed a large throng of people sauntering over to the pier. They walked over to the boisterous crowd.

What's going on?" Riza asked an older woman.

"Oh, it is almost time for the main event of the Festival to start!" the woman replied excitedly, clapping her hands as if she was a child. "The Lotus Dance. Ah it is more beautiful every time I see it. And the singing is uh, don't get me started on that..." As the woman began to mumble to herself, Riza felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and noticed that it was Kish, smiling down at her. She smiled back and was about to speak when a loud male voice called out to the people, causing the crowd to look up on the deck of the Queen Fury. There stood a tall tanned male, with blond hair that reached his shoulders. He wore a simple short sleeved beige shirt, blue pants and sandals. The crowd murmured and then finally was silent.

"Welcome everyone, visitors and residents, to our Annual Flower Festival!" the blond male trumpeted, his voice loud and high pitched. "I am Lynn, Mayor of the city of Donau."

The crowd cheered and the male smiled, satisfied to see the excitement. "I am pleased to hear that you are all having a blessed day," Lynn continued. "Now, let's begin what you have all been waiting for: the Lotus Dance!"

The crowd soon fell silent when they heard the beating of drums, followed by the plucking of a fiddle and then the high pitched flute. The instrumental accompaniment played for a session until four women appeared on the deck, each wearing a long sleeveless gown of a different color: pale blue, light green, salmon, and periwinkle. Following the beat of the drums their bare feet began to stomp on the deck of the Queen Fury. After the stomping they began to clap. Two of the women held tambourines and began to hit the shallow-headed drum, allowing the jingling metal disks to clap as well. They danced and clapped for a while and then the drummer stopped beating his drum. The crowd cheered and the four women bowed, but didn't leave the deck. Instead they formed two lines, pale blue with periwinkle and the light green with the salmon. The women then began to softly hum. Suddenly a voice began to sing:

_I had a dream that I could fly_

_I could feel each moment as time goes by_

_You'd never be too far away_

_You would always be here, I heard you say_

_I never thought thought that it would be our last goodbye (our last goodbye)_

_And I still can dream_

_That one day love will fall out from the sky…_

The voice belonged to a woman that entered the stage. She was dressed in an immaculate sleeveless gown that ended right above her knees. She had smooth caramel skin with long curly black hair that had few strands of pink in it. Her lower body moved with such grace as she danced across the deck, her belly moving in a clockwise motion. Melodies flowed from her lips so smoothly; she sounded as if she was an instrument herself! Her exotic verdant eyes gazed over her audience as she sang.

_Do you still remember all the time that has gone by?_

_Do you still believe that love can fall out from the sky?_

_If from where you're standing you can see the sky above._

_I'll be waiting for you if you still believe in love._

_Lalalalalalalalalalalalala_

_Lalalalalalalalalalalalala_

The song ended and all the audience roared in excitement and applauded. The singers and dancers bowed as various flowers were thrown at their feet, and exited the deck.

Lynn reappeared. "That ladies and gentlemen was the Lotus Dance. I hope to see you all next year as well. Give them one more big round of applause!"

Tristan screamed and clapped loudly, conforming to the rest crowd. It was the most beautiful performance he had ever seen in his life! And the singer? Soa, she was beautiful! He couldn't take his eyes off her even if he tried, not that he wanted to. Not only her face, but could she sing?

The spectators began to disperse, and soon it was only him, Riza, the Wingly and the waiter. Then his eyes were fixed on her again. His view of her was getting larger and larger. Was she coming towards him? He could feel his face flush as her lips curled into a smile.

The caramel skinned woman walked briskly past him. Tristan turned to see where she was headed. His mouth dropped as she put her arms around the neck of a shaggy red haired male. It dropped even further when her lips pressed softly on the red haired male's lips.

_No_ _way_…_You have got to be kidding me!_

"Well, how was it?" she asked Kish looking up at him, with her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"It was wonderful, as usual," Kish responded, gleefully touching his lips. She giggled a little and patted his chest.

"Still, I think it could've been better..." She turned and faced the three travelers who were staring at her. "Is there a problem?"

Kish looked up and cleared his throat. "Oh I am sorry. Meet Nayeli, my wife," he announced.

Tristan could not believe his ears. His wife? _She _was his _wife_?!! His cheeks were pink, embarrassed for getting all worked up over a married woman. Still even if she was married, he had never imagined her with…Kish. He just shook his head.

"A pleasure to meet you," Riza said.

"Indeed," Vector followed. Tristan only grunted.

"Riza! Tristan! Vector!" They turned to see Kylin and Derrick walking towards them.

"Did you see the performance? It was so pretty and the singers were beautiful, especially that one in white. I want to learn how to sing and dance like that…" The young half-elf ranted before noticing Kish and Nayeli next to her. She gasped and flushed. As she edged closer to Nayeli, she felt a light vibration in her pocket. Kylin pulled out the dragoon spirit which immediately shot into the air. It then slowly fell down and found its way into the palm of Nayeli's hand.

"Wha..?" The performer looked at the orb sitting snuggly in her hand, which shone brightly. "Uh…what's going on? Why is this…?"

"Let me explain," Vector interrupted.

"Oh you would _love_ that wouldn't you?" Tristan snorted, rolling his eyes.

* * *

"Let me get this straight. You people are these 'dragon knights' that have to protect this world from some sort of threat?"

Vector nodded. "Well basically, yes."

"So why did it take you over an hour to explain something that could've been simplified to one sentence?" Nayeli raised a single eyebrow.

"Well…I thought it would be necessary for you to know everything," Vector responded weakly.

"Sounded like you wanted to hear yourself talk more than anything else," she said. The blue-sea dragoon moved in his seat, embarrassed.

Tristan smirked, trying to contain himself from laughing. _Finally, someone who sees it the way I do._

They were now residing in the Myer household. It was a rather small house, but big enough for the two people who occupied it.

Nayeli got up from her chair and walked over to the large window. "Dragoons…It seems kind of hard to believe, but I have heard stories about them when I was a little girl. So, you want me to go with you…" she trailed off and looked at her husband, who nodded. She looked back out the window. It was a lot to take in. If she did agree to become a dragon knight, then she could possibly destroy the career that she had worked so hard to build. Who knew how long it would take to actually find and destroy this 'threat' that these young people (and Derrick) claimed there was? Days? Weeks? Sometimes things like this lasted years in a wild goose chase, and that was something she wasn't willing to do. On the flip side however, if there was indeed a serious threat she knew that she would have to help. After all she had something she wanted to protect: her home and her future family. She sighed. "Well, I suppose my audience could live without me for a while. I'll come."

"Does that mean you're joining us?" Riza asked. Her voice sounded a little edgy, but she couldn't help it. They could not afford another person denying the dragoon spirit.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Nayeli asked, her voice coated with attitude. Kish gave her a look and she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'll join you guys. Why not? I'm in the mood for fighting," She took a deep breath then punched and kicked the air.

"I'll be coming as well, of course," Kish said, placing an arm around Nayeli's shoulders.

"You think I need protection or something?" she asked, looking up at her husband.

"I know you are well capable of taking care of yourself Eli," he replied. "I just can't stand to be without you."

"Good answer."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Well, now that's settled," He stretched his arms upward. Grabbing his money sac, and rapier, which he left by the entrance, he proceeded out the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Riza asked him.

Tristan peeked back inside the house. "I'm going to the inn," the black haired boy replied. "I'm tired, and I want to sleep."

"No, stay here for the night," Kish insisted, with a toothy smile.

"Well 'Mr. Hospitable' did you think of the fact that we have no room for _all_ of them?" Nayeli asked, crossing her arms.

Kish began counting his guests. "One, two, three, four, five…oh, I guess not…" He hung his head in defeat, while his wife shook hers.

"I'll go with you Tristan," Derrick said. "I have to see how much those boarding passes are for the Queen Fury anyway.

"I guess I should be going, too," Nayeli said. "I need to get a few things." With that, the three left the house.

"I'm surprised that the earth dragoon spirit picked a woman," Vector asked after the singer was well away ear shot. "I was almost certain that it would take a strong man as its master."

Kish turned and smiled. "Don't underestimate Nayeli. Just because she's beautiful doesn't mean she isn't deadly." He walked over and lifted up a tapestry that hung on the wall, revealing numerous dents and holes.

"Every month she punches this wall. It's a way that she vents out." The archer shook his head. "Luckily this house is sturdy. I fear it will collapse one day."

Riza whistled.

To further prove his point about his 'deadly' wife, he walked over and picked up a small picture frame from the table that was adjacent to the door. He handed it to Vector. Kylin walked over as well, interested to see what the picture portrayed.

The painting showed three people. A large, bald, dark skinned man with red markings on his face sat on a chair at the center, while the other two, women, stood on either side of him. The one to the right of the man was a short pink haired woman with lively green eyes and ears that extended outward. To the left of the man stood a smiling young girl with curly black hair that had several strands of pink in it, caramel skin and green eyes like the woman to the right.

"Are these her parents?" Kylin asked pointing to the two people to the right. Kish nodded.

"I see, it makes sense now," Vector said, as if calculating something in his mind. "Since the earth dragoon usually requires a master that has great physical endurance then it is safe to conclude that she inherited her father's strength." Kish nodded, affirming the Wingly's statement. "Amazing! Her parents are of complete opposite species: a Gigantos father and a Minitos mother. I wouldn't have imagined such a cross occurring. It was told that most of the Gigantos were wiped out more than 30 years ago."

"Supposedly, they were," Kish said, picking up the empty cups that were left on the table. "However four injured refugees made it to Donau. Nayeli's father is the last of the surviving refugees that came here."

"Where are they now?" Kylin asked.

"Oh, they are at the Weapon Shop on the other side of town. Nayeli's father works as a blacksmith, while her mother sells items. Eli probably went to tell them that she was leaving and that she needed some supplies," Kish replied. He walked over and placed the cups into the sink and began to wash them.

"Blacksmith, huh?" Riza unsheathed her two swords. She examined them; the metal blades were dulled and have received many scratches and dents from all the fighting and practice that she had done. They were in need of some honing. "Do you think he would look at my swords?"

"Sure." The archer shook his wet hands in the sink, and then wiped off the remaining water droplets on his clothes. "We might even be able to give you a discount." he said smiling.

* * *

**Author's Note(s)**: Lani, I know how much you love Derrick, so I had to add that in there! lol Crayk and Lani please don't hate me, I felt bad enough when I wrote this chapter. I just wanted to put an ethnic person (like me) on my team! Is that so wrong? But don't lose heart, (and anyone else loved Lani and Crayk, cuz I did.) we WILL see you guys again! Besides that, I thought the chapter was alright.

Did anyone catch the irony about Riza and the 'crown fit for a princess?' Cuz she technically is the heir to the Mille Seseau throne, though no one knows, or will ever know except us! If you didn't then that is okay.

About the mandrake thing: In Biblical times it was believed that the mandrake had sexual powers, so that's where I got that from. I didn't make it up. I thought it would be funny to put that in this chapter, since they were in Flower City.

I would like to take this time to thank my editors/sisters Josee and Fredlyn. You help make my stories better. Thank you. Anyway R&R. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.


	10. Queen Fury

**Disclaimer**: No, Legend of Dragoon doesn't belong to me, but if it did, I would please fans by creating a PS2 or PS3 version of the game. Now _that_ friends would be sweet!

**Author's Note**: My fan fiction has finally made it to the double digits! Yippee! I've never written anything that made it this far, so I am über excited!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 10**

After paying the fee, the seven companions boarded the Queen Fury and departed from the Donaun dock early the next morning.

Riza climbed the ladder to the crow's nest. It was a nice peaceful place. The cool ocean breeze swept through, causing her short hair to compile in her face. She ran her fingers through her hair and leaned on the rim of the nest. It had been almost a week since she had left home in search of the dragoon spirits. She wondered how her father was doing. Was he alright without her? Did he miss her? She sure missed him. She hugged the mainmast that protruded out of the crow's nest.

The night before she had a strange dream:

_A seed had fallen onto arid soil, but suddenly it grew into a great tree with many branches and fruit. One by one the fruit dropped into the ground: 1, 2, 3, 4,…until Riza was able to count 107 fruits. Each fruit split open and the seeds formed new trees, some bigger than others. However, there was still one fruit left on the original tree, much different than the other 107 fruits before it. It was abnormally bigger than the others and instead of being rosy red like the others; it had a pale blue color. Riza stepped forward to touch the malformed fruit. It was as if it was calling her. When her hand came in contact with it, the fruit immediately glowed and suddenly busted open. Millions of seeds surrounded her and looked as if they were bowing to her. _

It was then that she had awoken. The dream itself wasn't strange it was just that she couldn't stop thinking about it. Was there supposed to be a hidden meaning in the dream? Her mind drifted to the day the Wingly woman came to the palace. Her right hand gently rubbed her temple. That pain she felt…her head felt as if it was metal being hit with a sledge hammer! What was that? Was it Wingly magic? She could not tell, yet she had a feeling it was something else. But what? She hoped the occurrence never happened again, especially if they were to ever meet the Wingly woman again.

"Hey, Riza!"

She looked down and noticed Tristan climbing up the ladder toward her. She moved a bit to the side to allow room for him to fit. She watched as he let out a sigh. She wondered what he wanted.

"I need 50 gold coins," he said, extending out his right hand.

"What?" she asked. She wasn't sure if she had heard him properly. Had he just asked for 50 gold coins?

"I said I need 50 gold coins," he repeated bluntly.

It was a very expensive and random request. "Why? Don't you have money, too? Where is yours?"

"I lost it."

"You 'lost it'?" Riza repeated, shocked. "That's a meal for two, and then some. How the hell did you lose that kind of money?"

Tristan averted his gaze downward. "It was just a little bet I had with the chef…it doesn't matter how I lost it!" he snapped.

Noticing that she wasn't going to give in, he sighed. "Look Riza, it's not that much. Just give me the money and I promise I'll pay you back. Please!"

"No."

"What?"

"I said, no. Why don't you ask someone else?"

He rolled his eyes. "Derrick and Kylin are Soa knows where; Kish and Nayeli are lovey-dovey in the cabins, and I am definitely _not_ asking the Wingly!"

"He has a name you know." Riza said. "It's Vector, or have you forgotten that?"

"Whatever. Are you going to give me the money or not?"

"What will you give me?" she inquired.

"What do you want?" Tristan asked, hesitantly.

"Hmm…" Riza thought, placing her pointer finger on her chin. "I'm not quite sure. When I think about it, I'll be sure to tell you." She gave him a sly smile.

"Riiiiight," Tristan dragged. "Now, the money."

"I told you I haven't thought of what I want yet."

"Riza!"

"Alright, alright! Don't have to act all crabby. You _owe_ me. Remember that." She handed him the sac full of money. He counted it just to be sure it was the right amount and scurried off to pay his debt.

After a moment of silence, she climbed down the ladder and walked on the deck. Riza unsheathed her newly honed swords. Maybe she could use this time to practice. She placed a spare piece of wood on one of the masts. She ran to the far end of the ship and faced her opponent. She then charged and cut the wood violently. She was done too quickly. In a matter of seconds the square plank of wood was nothing more than a pile of splinters. She sighed, unsatisfied. She decided to go take a nap; at least that would keep her occupied.

* * *

"Do you notice something odd with the sky?" Captain Kayla asked one of her sailors.

The male sailor looked up. "Nuthin' Captain," the sailor replied. "The sky looks perfectly fine to me."

The woman narrowed her eyes. "There are too many clouds." She turned to the sailor. "How long will it take us to reach Fueno?"

"Prob'ly another 20 minutes, Captain."

"You better be right. A storm is coming and I don't think it is going to be a good one." The Captain said. She felt something land between her eyes. She wiped the bridge of her nose. She then looked up; it had started to rain. "Forget 20 minutes; cut that time in half!"

"Ay!"

-------

It started off as a drizzle. Riza stretched her arms, and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She watched as the water droplets fell on her face. She always found that a little bit of rain was refreshing. She felt a chill and shivered. Perhaps it would be best if she went back below deck. She noticed Kylin on the shrouds. The young girl was opening her mouth as if to catch the droplets.

"Hey Kylin, what are you doing?" Riza called up to her. "It's getting kind of wet up here; we need to go below deck."

"Just another minute," the young elf replied. "I wish this was snow!"

Riza smiled, but noticed that the rain was suddenly getting harder. Clouds were quickly filling the sky, turning from blue into dark gray. A sudden flash of lightning caught her attention.

"Kylin, you need to get down now!"

"I'm coming!" A roar of thunder boomed in the sky. Kylin held on tight to the shroud net. "I'm scared!"

"It's okay, Kylin. I'm right here! Just let go of the shroud and I'll catch you!" The rain was hit her eyes and it was getting harder for her to see. She stretched her arms upward, reassuring Kylin.

The young girl shook her head. "I can't!" The thunder boomed again and the rain began to flood down.

Kylin was too high up the shroud, and telling her to jump wasn't a wise plan either. The only way was to climb up and get elf down herself. Riza cussed. Where did this come from? Did this start from just a drizzle?

--------

"Captain the storm is steering the ship off course!"

"Where is it headed?" Captain Kayla yelled, trying to make her voice louder than the booming waves.

"East!"

The female captain cussed. She ran to wheel and turned it with all her might to the left, but to no avail; the winds were too strong. The ship twisted and turned on top of the waves. Cargo began to topple over the ship.

"Get everyone below deck, immediately!"

--------

Carefully, Riza climbed up the shroud. A few times she had almost lost her balance due to the wet nets. When she was near enough to Kylin, she stretched out her hand and the girl hesitantly accepted it. Together, they went down the shroud, pausing a few times as the wind began to pick. Finally she had reached the deck, but now the winds were merciless!

"KYLIN!!!"

The squall blew the small girl out of her hands and to the edge of the ship. Kylin hung on to the rim of the ship, for if she released her hold, she would fall into the belly of the ocean.

"Help!" the girl cried. "Help me!"

Riza noticed rope on the ground and quickly tied one side of it around one of the masts. Making sure it was tightly knotted, she took the loose end of the rope went back to Kylin. With her free hand she pulled the diminutive girl and tied the rope around the girl's waist.

"Riza!"

She turned and noticed Tristan at the entrance of the lower region of the ship. Grabbing Kylin, she tossed the young girl to him. He caught her and untied her and Kylin quickly went below deck with the other crewmen. Riza was left on deck. She held on tightly to the shroud as the wind sifted wildly around her. She just needed to time herself right. Tristan stood there at the entrance waiting for her. As the winds began to cease a bit, Riza began to move; however, a large wave of water engulfed the ship. She tried to grab something, anything, but it was too late. The wave had already sent her overboard.

"RIZA!!"

"Throw a lifeboat! Damn it!"

Riza gasped for air. She saw the lifeboat in the distance and started to swim toward it. She suddenly felt a sharp pain on her left leg; it had cramped. _Crap! _She moved her arms frantically, hoping it would keep her afloat, but the merciless waves covered her, pushing her farther and farther away from the ship. Water quickly flooded into her lungs, choking her. She felt herself sinking lower and lower, as if some unnatural force was pulling her down. No, she would not let herself die like this! Again, she tried to swim upward, tried to get her head above the water, but her efforts were in vain. Was this it?

Down, down into the sea she sank. Images quickly flooded her mind; all the things that she wanted to do before her life was over. She would never get to see her father again, or her grandfather, or ever become a knight, which was her dream ever since she was a child. All things she never got to say…

_Tristan…_

His face was all she could see, his obnoxious, devious face! A face that she had grown to love…

_Help me! Tristan, help me! _

His voice echoed in her ears. _Riza… Riza! _

Memories flooded her mind…

"_You are such a jerk!" she could hear her eight year old self yell._

"_And you're such a bitch, I guess we're even," he whispered in her ear, calmly._

"_What is going on? Riza why are you on the floor?" her father gazed at her. _

"_He-" she began before she was cut off._

"_I tried to pull the chair for her to sit at the table, but she slipped off the chair." Tristan replied, innocently._

_Her father looked at Tristan and smiled. "That was very kind of you, Tristan. You are such a great __**friend**__ to Riza." He reverted his gaze toward her. "Be more attentive, Riza!" _

---

"_Let's turn this up a notch," she heard him say._

"_How so?" she asked, holding her spear in lunging position. She raised a brow as Tristan began to take off his armor. "Giving up already?"_

"_No armor, no weapons, just our fists and feet. You in?"_

"_Alright," she felt herself smirked, dropping her spear. "Let's dance!"_

---

_She fell backward onto the grass and gazed at the sky._

"_Thanks, for the company." she mumbled._

"_Anytime," Tristan said looking down at her. "We demon children have to stick together!"_

Stick together…

She knew her mind was playing games with her; if only the games were real! Her reality wasn't one that she wanted.

_Don't leave me!_

She reached up to grab the face, his face, but the image disappeared. Although she was surrounded by water, she could feel the tears well up in her eyes.

She closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

_I'm going to die!_

"_**No, you cannot die. I need it….my body…"**_

Then her whole world went black.

* * *

"We have to go get her!" Tristan said as he paced, impatiently. They had arrived at Feuno about fifteen minutes after Riza had fallen off the ship. He had hoped that she had somehow made it to shore, yet he hadn't seen her. He searched the town, asking every person that he would come across if they had seen her. But each person shook his or her head, saying that they haven't.

Frustrated, he punched the wall, creating a dent. He caught sight of the hotel manager looking at him, but he only glared back at the old man, who remained silent. Good, he needed to think, think of where Riza could be. He could hear Kylin crying in the background. Couldn't she be quieter? Soa, she was so loud!

"She's…dead isn't she…?" the young elf moaned. "Riza's dead!"

"She's _not_ dead!" Tristan snapped, causing the girl to cry even more. "And would you _shut the hell up_!"

"Hey! Watch your tongue!" Derrick scolded, grabbing his shoulder. Tristan shook it off. "You aren't the only one who lost someone here!"

"Just because we can't find her doesn't mean that she's dead!" the black hair boy replied, raising his voice. No, he **refused** to believe something like that could happen. Riza, dead? Impossible! To him, those words were like an oxymoron. But a small doubt began to linger in the back of his mind. The current would've been overwhelming for any human. What if she was…

_Dead…? _

No, this was all a dream. Yes, that was it! They were still on the ship to Mille Seseau and he was below deck, sleeping.

_Wake up damn it! Wake up!_

Hot unwanted tears started streaming down his face. _Soa, why __**her**__? Why? _He couldn't take it anymore. He had to find her. Maybe, just maybe… He grabbed his coat and headed out the door.

"Where are you going?" Derrick demanded.

"I'm going to look for her," he replied, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the sky as two young men walked toward the pier. One was tall and lean, with curly brown hair, while his companion was also tall, and tan with shoulder length blond hair.

"Do you think we'll get a good catch today, Gary?" the blond boy asked his friend. "Its been days since we actually have. Do you think the water could be contaminated or something?"

Garrett shook his head. "The only reason we haven't had a good catch recently is because you've been rushing us to see that Nisselian girl." He adjusted his fishing rod, allowing it to lean on his right shoulder. "Honestly, Jason can't you think of something other than what's in your pants?"

Jason laughed. "What are you talking about? I'm thinking about food, aren't I?"

When they reached the pier, Garrett placed his fishing rod down and took a seat. He placed the bait on the hook and threw the line. It plopped into the water and he waited. The cool breeze beat against his face and he inhaled the smell of the sea. Life was good, and yet after a while, it became the same old thing. Waking up in the morning, doing chores, going fishing, taking care and helping his grandmother. Sure there were the little incidents were Jason would have something going on, but as soon as it passed it was back to routine. He wished that something could happen that would just get him out of the vicious cycle of ubiquity.

Garrett sighed and let his head fall backward. His eyes slowly wandered to the left, when something caught his attention. He turned his head. Something was on the shore. A dead animal, perhaps? No. He squinted his eyes and gasped, and broke out into a run.

Jason, noticing his friend's sudden movement, called out to him.

"Hey, Gary, where ya going?"

The brown haired boy reached his destination. His eyes hadn't failed him; it was indeed a human being lying on the beach.

"Hey, what's the big hurry, Gary? We have to…oh man!"

Garrett immediately knelt down next the body. Cautiously, he turned it over revealing the face of a young girl.

"Is she…?" Jason started.

Garrett placed his pointer and middle finger on her neck. He could feel a soft beating hit his fingers. The pulse was faint, but it was still there. He sighed, relieved.

"Well?" His friend inquired.

"She's still alive," Garrett replied. "But…"

"Can't you do something? You're the one who wants to be a doctor!"

Garrett sighed. It was true that she was alive, for now, but if he didn't do something, she would soon be dead. He placed his hands, one on top of the other, on her chest, then started to press hard. He repeated the motion, up and down, until finally he heard a grunt. He looked down and saw that the girl had spit out some water and coughed. He sat her up, patting her back, aiding as she regurgitated the water out of her lungs.

"Are you alright?" he asked, after the coughing had subsided.

Her eyelids opened only half way. Her eyes drifted from Jason then to Garrett. She grabbed the cuff of Garrett's sleeve, and pulled hard.

"My body…" she mumbled. "I need…" She was unable to complete her sentence. Her head drooped forward and her eyes closed again. She had passed out.

The brown haired boy sighed again. She must be exhausted. But what puzzled him was the girl's seemingly unconscious muttering. What did she mean her body? What did she need? On top of all of that, who was she? How did she end up here? From what he could see there was no doubt that the girl was some sort of warrior. Was it possible that she fell overboard while returning from some mission, perhaps? Whatever the situation was, Garrett knew that he had to make sure she was well treated.

He lifted her up bridal style, allowing her head to rest on his chest. He flushed when he looked down at her face. Even though it was pale from the cold water, she had a unique beauty to her. He would make sure that she got well. Perhaps she would help him break the cycle of his mundane life.

"Hey no fair! How come you get to take the babe home?" Jason hollered, following his friend.

Garrett rolled his eyes. Did he honestly have to answer that question? "I'll be back in a few minutes. Just try not to wander off before then."

"Wait, I'm coming with you!"

The two boys walked past the pier to the village, unaware of the pair of ruby eyes that was watching them.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Seems a lot like what happened to Dart, with Riza falling into the water and all. I'm just trying to keep some of the LOD feel to it. Man I wrote this mad late: It's 4:21 AM now! o_O This shows my dedication and to make up for not posting for like 2 months. Anyway, R&R. Good night!


	11. Dalio

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Legend of Dragoon. Period.

**Author's Note**: Wow, this was quickly posted! Don't be expecting too many of those, though. I wrote most of this chapter months ago, before I even wrote 8, 9 or 10. Yeah, I'm kinda a scatter brain. I don't have anything to say so, on with Chapter 11!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 11**

_A cradle rocked back and forth. Inside it was a baby girl, with large chestnut eyes and curly brown hair. The baby was crying, stretching her arms upward in hopes for someone to pick her up. _

"_No, stay away! Stay away from the Princess…Agh!" _

_However she was greeted by a dark figure with large black wings. It had no face, but extended its sword at the child._

"_Die!" was all it said. Then…_

"NOO!!!!!" Riza shot up from her reclined position. She was breathing heavily; her brow was full of sweat and her clothes were sticking to her body. She immediately touched her chest, thinking that she would feel the blood and the scar that would've been left behind. But there was no blood, or scar. If that was the case, then all of what happened was…

_A dream…_

Soon her breathing began to slow down. It had all felt so real! She knew she wasn't a baby, yet she _knew _she was the child that was going to be killed! And that dark figure that was her murderer. Who or what was it? She couldn't shake the feeling that the creature was still out there, ready to harm her. For the first time in her life, Riza felt truly fearful.

_But it was just a dream_, she tried to reassure herself. _You are safe and sound and alive and…_

When she realized that she was indeed in the land of the living, the thought finally dawned on her. _Where_ was she? Riza looked around. She was sitting on a bed and next to it was another. To the left a table with four chairs resided adjacent to a small kitchen and a fireplace. It appeared that she was in a small cottage of some sort. But how? She touched her head, trying to remember, but the only things that came to mind were falling into the water and then…that voice!

_What was that?_

Pushing the blankets, she got out of the bed and suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing her normal clothes. Instead, she was wearing a tunic that reached to her knees and loose trousers. But where were her clothes? Her swords? And most importantly: where was her dragoon spirit?! The teenager frantically looked under the bed--nothing. She ran into the kitchen, searching the table, under the rug, anywhere. But her search was in vain. She cussed. Panicked, she ran out the door.

Riza shielded her eyes as the bright sun blinded her momentarily. She looked around and realized that she was in a town; a boisterous town at that, very similar to Seles when business was booming. However, she couldn't let that distract her from finding her precious item! She started to walk around the house. Suddenly she felt something on her shoulder and Riza jerked, automatically going into the defensive, just as Derrick had always taught her to do. However her muscles began to relax when she saw an old woman chuckle.

"I see I have a warrior on my hands," the woman said.

"Sorry, about that," Riza replied sheepishly, embarrassed that she almost attacked the old woman.

"Oh that is quite alright, I'm just glad that you are awake; you seemed weak and have been sleeping for almost a day now.

Riza looked at the woman, shocked. _Sleeping for a whole day? _

She gave the woman a perplexed look, causing the woman to chuckle again. "Oh well it's almost lunch time anyway. How about I cook some soup for you?"

"Thank you," Riza said, bowing. She followed the aged woman into the very cottage that she had just exited out from. This being so, the young girl felt it was a great a time as any to ask:

"Um…my clothes, do you know…"

"Oh they are in the yard drying. I placed your weapons in the house so none of the village children would touch it."

"Did you see a violet ball?" Riza used her hands, showing the size. "I was wondering if you saw it with my clothes…" She could live without her swords and her clothes, but her dragoon spirit was a part of her--a priceless item.

The old woman reached into her apron and pulled out the purple orb. "This?"

Riza took it from the woman's hands and held it close to her chest. She was thankful that the spirit didn't get lost in the ocean.

"It must be very valuable to you, yes?"

Riza nodded, taking a seat on one of the stools. "My great-grandfather gave it to me. It is…a family heirloom, I guess."

"I see," the woman replied smiling. She then turned to the pot that had boiling water and put in some vegetables and meat.

"Um…ma'am…"

"Call me Deidra," the old woman said. "And what is your name child?"

"My name is Riza," she replied. "I was just wondering, where exactly am I?" The town looked very similar to her own home; however she knew that this place wasn't it.

"You are in a village in the country of Dalio," the woman said, stirring the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon.

"Dalio?"

Deidra blew at the spoon. "Yes, Dalio." She ushered Riza to extend her hand and she dumped a small sample of the food into it. Riza flinched when the hot liquid touched her skin. "Here, taste if this is salty enough."

Riza licked her hand and tasted the soup. "Mmhmm, this is good, but a little more salt." The old woman, tasting the soup as well, nodded in agreement. "But where exactly is 'Dalio'?"

"It is one of the Republics of the East. Dalio, Serladez and Nissel are independent nations that aren't ruled by monarchs, like the other countries of Endiness."

Riza nodded. She personally had never heard of Dalio or Serladez, but she had heard of Nissel which was east of Serdio.

Deidra placed the readied soup in three bowls, one of which she gave to Riza.

"Thank you, I owe you my life," Riza said as she sipped the soup.

Deidra laughed. "Oh no, it was my grandson Garrett who found you on the beach. Oh speak of the devil!"

Riza turned her head and saw a young boy about her age, tall and lean with curly brown hair. He carried a bundle of wood on his back, and another bundle under one of his arms. Riza stood up and offered her assistance.

"I'll carry it," Riza said. Before he could even resist, she took the tied up wood from his back. She then set the parcel beside the fireplace. Garrett soon joined her with the other load.

"Thanks," he said, before letting out a needed sigh.

"No problem," Riza smiled.

Garrett turned away. "I'm…um…glad you're okay."

"Thanks to you!"

"It was nothing," the boy said untying the string that held the wood together. He knelt down and threw them into the unlit fireplace. "I just did what any other person would've done."

They sat together at the table drinking soup. After they had finished, Riza took the bowls and placed them in the sink and started to wash them.

"It is the least I can do," she injected before Deidra could protest. The old woman smiled.

"Garrett, why don't you take Riza around to see the sights? It is her first time in Dalio," Deidra winked at her grandson, who only turned away.

"Sure," he mumbled.

-------

"And those are the Lakes of Fulien," Garrett explained, pointing to the bodies of water in the distance. "It was said that Soa traveled with his followers here and their footprints is what made those very lakes."

Riza squinted her eyes, and nodded. She pulled up the top of the dress she was wearing, so it wouldn't fall and expose her busted chest. Her clothes had not yet dried completely, so Deidra thought it would be appropriate for Riza to wear more 'fitted' clothes than the lose tunic and the trousers that she was wearing earlier. Now she was dressed in a single piece lavender sleeveless dress, which matched her violet dragoon spirit that hung on a chain around her neck, and sandals. Her short sienna hair was combed, so it hugged her cheeks and her messy bangs were neatly moved to the right to reveal her large chestnut eyes. The attire wasn't one that Riza was actually fond of--she wasn't a dress person--but the old woman insisted. How could she say no? She was relieved that the old woman allowed her to walk around with her swords; she would've felt slightly naked without them.

"Yo Gary, is that you man?" a voiced yelled from behind.

They both turned to find a young blond haired boy running toward them; however Garrett continued walking, Riza followed suit. When the young boy reached them, he paused, catching his breath.

"Gary, didn't you hear me calling you back there?" the blond haired boy asked.

"Sorry, about that Jason…I guess I didn't hear you," Garrett lied.

"Well you better get your ears checked…Hello, and what do we have here?" Jason asked noticing the girl beside his friend. His eyes lit up and a smile formed on his face. He gently pushed Garrett aside, and grabbed the girl's hands. He recognized her face; now that she was clean and well rested, she looked even better. "Hello beautiful, my name is Jason Reye, but you can just call me Jason." He flashed a smile that would've melted the heart of any other young female…but Riza wasn't like other girls.

"Nice to meet you too," Riza said in a monotone voice. "Now could you please let go of me?"

"But I haven't even gotten your na--Ahh!" Before Jason could finish his sentence, Riza had flipped him over her back, causing him to fall to the ground.

She looked down at the fallen boy, and smirked before turning away. Garrett smiled as he watched Riza walk off. He looked down at his friend.

"Guess that didn't go the way you expected it to, huh?" Garrett said, between laughs. He hoisted his friend up.

"Oh, please," Jason replied, brushing the dust off his clothing. "She's just playing hard to get. Don't worry, she likes me. I mean, what girl wouldn't?" He pointed his face.

"Whatever," Garrett rolled his eyes.

-------

"Ah come on! Just once, I won't ask for anything else!"

"No!"

"Please?"

"NO!"

"I can't just cop a feel?"

"I'm warning you, if you _touch_ me I will _kill_ you!" Riza gripped the two swords on her waist, ready to unsheathe them.

Garrett watched as his friend and Riza bickered. Jason had invited himself in the tour, saying that he would help. What he really wanted to do was to 'help himself' to Riza. However she would have none of it. Throughout their whole trek, they have been bickering, usually resulting in Jason having a beat down. Garrett sighed. Why wouldn't Jason just give up? Riza wasn't like the other girls that yielded into Jason's charms. She was different. She was smart, impulsive, cute and…

"There's someone else isn't there!" Jason accused, causing Garrett to snap out of his thoughts. He looked at Riza, waiting for her response.

"No!" Riza said, quickly. "I…" She could feel her face growing warmer.

"Don't lie!" He edged closer to her. "You're blushing."

Riza turned her head. "So," she mumbled.

"Aha! So there is someone else. Hmph, I feel bad for him, though. Having you as a girlfriend and all…"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Riza snapped, automatically regretting that she let those words slip out of her tongue.

"Oh-kay. Someone is a little sensitive," Jason said, lifting his hands up in surrender. Garrett frowned.

_Someone else…_

Of course she had a life before she was found on the beach. He knew that, but he hoped…

"Hey Garrett, what's that?"

Garrett looked up, following Riza's finger. In the distance were several men digging, dusting and working around a large gorge. He shrugged. "It's just some archeologists. They think that this village has some hidden power or something like that."

"Hidden power?"

"There is a legend that a great power is buried somewhere around here," Jason injected. "It is said that the power was used in ancient times to conquer others, spooky huh?"

Garrett waved his hand, dismissing his friend. "It's just a fairytale."

"I want to see…" Riza said. For some reason she felt a need to know what this 'power' was. She twiddled the orb around her neck. _Maybe it was a dragoon spirit? _

"Really?" Garrett asked, surprised. Jason smiled.

"Then let's go!"

When they reached the site, Riza took a seat at the edge of gorge. She watched as workers threw away rock after rock. She sighed. She wondered where her friends were. Were they okay? Were they already in Mille Seseau? Were they looking for her? She had been gone for so long; maybe they thought she was dead. Riza hugged her knees.

_Tristan…_

It was strange. When she was drowning in the water, all she could think about was him. But why? Even when Jason had asked if there was 'someone else' she automatically thought of him. She drew her eyebrows together toward the middle of her forehead and bit her lip. Feelings that she had never felt before started to engulf her. Tristan used to be the bane of her existence, when did that change? Maybe she wasn't being completely honest with herself. Maybe, just _maybe_, she had feelin--

"I think I found something!" one of the archeologists cried. His loud voice caused her to lose her train of thought.

"Come on," Garrett said, offering his hand to her. "Don't you want to get a closer look?"

Riza nodded, taking his hand. They slid down the rocky valley and walked to where the other diggers were standing.

The archeologist had found what looked to be a large arm protruding from the valley. He and others began to remove more dirt and rock, revealing a colossal beast. Although half of it appeared to be buried within the valley, most of its body could still be seen. It's head, which made up one third of its body, looked like a large upside down trapezoid, with two vacuums surrounding what looked to be a small face made up of numerous dull green orbs. On its abdomen was an enormous emerald stone that extended all the way to its pelvis and its two legs looked like it was covered in scales.

It looked…dead.

"What is it?" one of the archeologists asked.

"I don't know. But I have never seen anything like it before."

"Could this be the power we have been looking for?"

Riza walked closer, pushing some of the men aside. She gazed up at the creature; for some strange reason it looked familiar. She noticed one of the small green orbs illuminate. Suddenly, she felt a pain in her skull. She shut her eyes and grabbed her head. It felt as if a sledge hammer was continuously hitting her brain.

_Not this again!_

"There you are!" Garrett said, finally catching up to her. He placed his hand over her shoulder. He could feel her body shaking; she was sweating and breathing heavily. "Riza, are you okay?" He quickly placed his hand on her head. It was burning! "Woah, Riza, you need to see a doctor!"

_This feeling…What is happening to me? _

Her eyes shot open, revealing a pair of bright blue irises, instead of her natural brown ones. Countless images flooded into her mind, all similar to the dream she had earlier that day. The creature with black wings…it was going to get her, to kill her! No, she wouldn't let it kill her, not without a fight! She gripped her body and felt a strange surge of power, none like she had felt before.

She could hear… a heart beat? Was it her own? No, it was coming from the creature! The pulse grew louder.

"Shut up," she mumbled. The pulse continued; the sound was now booming in her ears. Could no one else hear it?

"STOP IT!" A bright blue light erupted from her forehead and the valley began to shake.

"_**Arise my child; bring me to my body!**_"

* * *

**Author's Note**: Uh oh! Now things are getting really juicy! Don't forget to review people. See you in the Chapter 12!


	12. Virage

**Disclaimer**: I don't own LOD. There, I said it.

**Author's** **Note**: Thanks for the reviews people. I'm glad to hear that you like the story. Anyway, on with the chapter!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 12**

He couldn't sleep; it only brought nightmares of her. He refused to eat; hunger was the least of his worries. His eyes were red from the tears, or was it the lack of sleep? Did it matter where it came from? The reason was the same.

It had been over 18 hours since Riza had fallen into the depths of the water, and it felt as if a part of him was missing. He had looked all over Feuno and even went to the small Prison Island through the Undersea Cavern. No one had seen her.

He walked over to the table and looked down at it. A sudden fit of rage engulfed him and he flipped over the table. He was breathing heavily. He wasn't satisfied. He began punching the wall repeatedly. Blood trickled down his knuckles as he created a deeper and deeper dent, but he didn't care. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. He could feel the tears falling down his cheek. Why?! Why was he losing all the things that he held dear? First his parents and now Riza?

Leaning against the wall, he slid to the ground. He pulled out his dragoon spirit and glared at it.

"You were supposed to bring me good fortune, remember?" he told it. "Why is it that when I have a little bit of happiness, you snatch it all away?! Huh? It's your fault!"

No answer came. Angrily, he threw the orb across the room. He watched as it bounced off the wall and rolled toward the door.

_Stupid ball. _

Tristan looked up at the white ceiling. How was he supposed to tell Mr. Feld? Her father would kill him, but it was what he deserved. He couldn't even protect her! Damn! Was Soa cursing him? What had he done wrong?

A soft knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly wiped his eyes and opened the door. His eyes narrowed, and he slammed the door; however it didn't close and the unwanted guest invited himself in.

"What do you want Wingly?" he asked taking a seat on the bed.

Vector noticed the dark purple orb on the ground. Picking it up, he placed it on the bed. He then leaned against the wall and looked at Tristan. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I also have some hunches ab--"

"I don't need you goddamn sympathy," he snapped, turning away from Vector's intense gaze. What did the Wingly know about what he was feeling? Nothing!

The blue-sea dragoon sighed. He knew that Tristan was in a more distressed mood than usual, given the circumstances. Still the black haired boy didn't have to be so rude. He was just trying to be nice.

"Well, I just came to help, but I see that you don't want it. I could just leave without telling you that I may know where Riza is."

Tristan's green eyes turned red with fury. Immediately he rose and pushed Vector against the wall, hard.

"You think this is funny? Huh? Some type of sick game?" He was breathing heavily and his face was flushed. How _dare _the Wingly say such a thing to him! Was everyone trying to torture him? Taunt him with the thought? Still a small part of him prayed what the Wingly said was true. Maybe… He released his hold on Vector, but glared at him.

"I haven't come here to rub salt on an open wound," Vector said calmly, as if to reassure Tristan. He fixed his ruffled clothes. "Like I said before, I have come to assist." He pulled out a rolled up piece of paper from his bag and opened it, revealing a map. As he set the map on the bed (the table was…unavailable), he placed two candle holders to act as weights, preventing the paper to roll up.

Tristan eyed the paper, which was full of scattered red markings and random notes on the sides of the page. He looked at Vector. "So, you got a map. How's this supposed to help me?"

"Well if you would give me a chance to explain myself," Vector shook his head. "Anyway, this is the map that I used while charting our course during our voyage. I like to keep certain records for--"

"Get to the _point_, Wingly," Tristan snapped, impatiently. As if he cared _why_ the Wingly kept records.

"Right. The _point_ is that a few minutes before the storm hit us, I plotted on the map where our current location was at the time and right after the storm, when Riza fell off the ship." He edged Tristan to come closer. The black haired boy came, ears perked after hearing Riza's name. "See the gap in these red markings? It was around here that the Riza had fallen." His finger circled the space between the red lines. "If we assume that she did end up on land, then she would've ended up here." He pointed to the left part of the map. Tristan moved his hand to read what it said.

"Dalio?"

Vector nodded. "It is one of the republics in the eastern part of Endiness. Unlike in Serdio or any other country which are rul--"

"I get it. I get it," Tristan said hastily, waving his hand, silencing Vector. Soa, he was always ready to give an explanation for everything.

_Dalio…Please… _

"Wait a minute," Tristan paused, looking at his Wingly companion. "If you knew why didn't you tell me this earlier?

"Well first off, I wasn't certain," Vector replied. "You know, not one hundred percent sure…" he added, trying to put his words in laymen's terms.

"Why the hell did you wait almost a whole day?"

"Numerous variables could've proven my hypothesis false, and a false hypothesis, although valuable in many scientific cases, would be catastrophic (especially for your feeble and emotionally instable mind) in this circumstance. However we can't dismiss the unknown and the possibility that she is there, so I figured that it would be best to tell you and see what you decided on the matter."

Tristan stared at Vector blankly. He felt that during that whole spiel that Vector had insulted him somehow; however he couldn't catch everything he said, due to the face that the Wingly tended to mumble after a while of speaking and use words that he couldn't understand. He decided not to try to argue; Riza's life was on the line, and to him that was more important than fighting the silver-haired man before him.

"My _what_ mind? No, I don't even want to try to understand what you just said. Fine, we have to location. Good, I better get ready then." He removed the candle holders and rolled up the map, placing the parchment in his pocket.

"And how do you plan on going there, hmm?" Vector asked crossing his arms. His face was coated with amusement. He honestly wanted to know how Tristan was going to cross the ocean without a vessel. The Queen Fury was to remain in the dock for at least two more days and no small vessel could help him travel the distance that was necessary.

"I'll use my dragoon spirit," the raven haired boy said, as if it was the most obvious answer. He couldn't understand why Vector was looking at him so smugly. Soa did he wish he could just wipe that smile off his face! But not now, he told his thoughts. Remember _Riza_.

Vector took the map out Tristan's pocket and began to swing it in his hands.

Tristan eyes widened, then immediately narrowed. "You heartless bastard."

"I'm just teasing you," the silver haired man said, laughing a little. However his humor wasn't shared. Vector cleared his throat and composed himself. "What I really was referring to was how are you getting to Dalio, even if you have the map?"

"I just said, my dragoon spirit. What are you deaf? Is hearing your voice too much doing something bad to your ears?" This time, Tristan did laugh. Vector rolled his eyes.

"And when was the last time that you fought anything to get Spirit Points?"

Before he could speak, Tristan paused and thought. They haven't really fought anything during their sail to Feuno. He hated to admit it but, the Wingly was right! He bit his lip. He eyed his dragoon spirit on the bed and picked up. He let gazed at it for a moment, then looked at Vector. A smile formed on his face.

"Wanna brawl?" he asked.

"How typical of you," Vector said, rolling his eyes again. "Always wanting to fight me. As tempting as it is to watch you beg me for mercy, time is of the essence and fighting me wouldn't give you enough Spirit Points to cross the ocean."

"Hmph, fine. So what do _you_ think?" Tristan scoffed.

"What is this? You are asking for what _I think_? I thought I'd never see the day."

The darkness dragoon narrowed his eyes.

"Alright. I thought you'd never ask." Vector said, smiling, which extended ear to ear.

---------------------

"I swear if you drop me Wingly, **you** **are** **dead**!"

"Well if I dropped you, _you_ would be the one struggling for your life," Vector said.

Tristan growled. "When we get on dry land and I find Riza, I will literally drop kick your ass!"

"I honestly don't think you are in a position to be making threats, since I am your source of transportation." Vector replied, smugly.

"Whatever," Tristan mumbled.

Tristan couldn't believe that he actually let the Wingly talk him into this! The Wingly had proposed that he be their means of transportation, by carrying him by his arm pits. The black haired boy agreed. Did he wish he just used his dragoon spirit! This was the worst humiliation!

He looked down at his feet which were a several feet off the ground. He closed his eyes and prayed. He had never prayed this much in his life, but here he was begging that Riza was alive and that he would find her soon--not eventually, but soon. He reopened his eyes, knowing he had something else to get off his chest.

"Hey…Vector, um…thanks… for helping me…" he said, his eyes gazing at the ocean below. The words were a lot harder to say than he had thought.

Vector looked down at him. "I think this is the first time you have ever called me by my name." Tristan grunted. "You're welcome. I want Riza safe as much as you do…okay maybe not as much as YOU do, but I care about her too, as a friend," he added quickly.

"Hn," Tristan replied, but he couldn't stop himself from smiling a bit.

"Do you think this is the start of a new friendship?" Vector injected.

Tristan cocked a brow. "Keep dreaming, Fly-boy."

"A guy can only hope…"

As they approached land, Tristan's eye caught sight of a strange light. It was a pale blue color and it was radiating from up ahead. "Hey, You see that?!"

Vector nodded. "Let's go investigate. Hold on tight!" With that his speed quickly escalated.

As Vector started to slow down, Tristan let himself go and he landed on his feet and broke out into a run. As the light became closer in view, so did the sound of screams. The light soon vanished, but he had already found what he was looking for…well it wasn't what he was expecting. He stopped in his tracks when he saw a great beast. His eyes widened. What was that? When Vector reached him, he too stopped and gasped.

"A …Virage, but…?"

Tristan didn't hear the rest of his babble. Whatever the creature was, it was a threat that needed to be dealt with. His eyes fell on a girl walking slowly toward the creature, extending her hand to it. The creature's green eyes were looking at her, and it too was extending its gargantuan hand toward her. What was she thinking?

He ran with haste and grabbed the girl, before the creature could have a chance to touch her. They skidded on the dirt.

"Are you okay?" he asked. But when he looked down at the girl, he gasped.

"Riza?!"

The girl opened her eyes and gazed at him. "Tristan? Is that really you?"

He hugged her tightly. He found her! Thank Soa. Thank the Divine Tree. Thank Vector--it didn't matter. She was here, alive!

A loud shriek from the monster caused both of them to look up. Vector was soon by their side.

"Save the hugs for later, we have business to take care of!"

"Right!" Tristan extended his rapier and charged for the creature's legs. He thrust left and right, yet his attacks seemed to have no effect on it. No matter, he would soon have enough energy to transform.

Riza watched as Vector and Tristan fought the beast before them. A voice was in her mind now. It was the voice of the creature. It was crying! She shook her head. No, she had to help her friends. She pulled out her butterfly swords.

"Riza!"

She turned to see Garrett and Jason. She didn't want to see them hurt. "Get out of here!"

"We can't leave without you…ugh!"

The beast moved vehemently, succeeding in breaking free from the 'valley prison', causing a rain of rocks to fall to the ground. Riza quickly ran to Garrett and Jason, pushing them out of the way. She turned to them. "You have to go; I can handle this!" She waited until Garrett reluctantly nodded. (Jason was already nodding his head vigorously.)

Riza brandished her swords and changed at the gray creature, slicing anything that she could reach. Soon she had enough spirit and she transformed. She flew to the sky where she met with Tristan and Vector, who were already in dragoon armor.

"What is that thing?" she asked.

"It's a Virage. During the Dragon Campaign, Winglies used it as a trump card in the war; somewhat how the Humans used dragons. But they weren't supposed to be alive anymore, ever since the Moon was destroyed."

"Who gives a crap what it is!" Tristan said. "How do we defeat it?"

"Right. Apparently the weak point is the head. If you destroy anything else, it will eventually regenerate. Attack the head then it's dead, but it won't be easy. Watch out for any of its attacks, they can be pretty deadly."

A beam of green light shot at them, and the three dispersed.

"Subzero Strike!" Vector ran his enhanced katana through the side of the Virage's head. A trail of ice formed at the broken skin, and then it expanded and finally shattered. The icicles shot like a shower of sharp daggers on the Virage. It screamed and flung its hand, hitting the blue dragoon.

Tristan took his rapier cut his upper arm. Trinkets of blood were at the edge of the blade and flowed onto the ground below.

"Plasma Doppelganger!"

Suddenly the blood on the ground began to bubble and start to form into a crimson version of Tristan. The two of them attacked the head at once. They were able to get a little damage in before the Virage's large hand squashed Tristan's doppelganger, leaving a pile of blood on the ground. Tristan cringed as the connection he had with counterpart was severed and he felt its pain; in essence, his own pain.

Riza came in this time. Her eyes began to turn violet as she conjured up her magic attack.

"Thunderclap!" Her hands became charged with electrical energy. As she waited the sparks continued to grow until finally she pulled her hands together, creating a loud clap. The electrical energy streamed toward the Virage, electrifying it.

Vector came in for a second round of magic. "Riming Vortex!" A whirlwind of ice bombarded the creature. One of its green eyes glowed and it released a beam of energy. The blue dragoon dodged just in time and flew in for another attack. He glanced as Tristan and Riza were manually attacking the Virage and how it was able to multitask between him and his other companions. But he found something odd about the creature's attacking styles. No matter how many times Riza hurt the Virage, it would never touch her. The only time it hit her was indirectly, when it was hitting someone else. She was, in fact, the least bruised in battle! Was he overanalyzing again? He didn't think so. Something wasn't right.

After a series of multiple attacks, the Virage soon let out a piercing cry, before falling to the ground. The dragoons cautiously allowed their armor to disappear. It had been a rough battle. The creature was relentless, but they were able to kill it. Riza gazed at the Virage's carcass. Tristan gripped her shoulder.

"It's dead. Come on, let's go home." he said, squeezing her shoulder a bit.

She nodded and began to follow him. Suddenly a green orb glistened, and the Virage yelled, getting up into vertical position. They both turned. It was alive? The Virage quickly extended its hand towards Riza, ready to grab her, when a blue light erupted from the girl's forehead.

"_**Rest my child, join your brothers and sisters in eternal slumber." **_She heard a voice in her head say_**.**_

It spread and covered the Virage and disintegrated its body until it was nothing but a pile of dust.

Tristan and Vector, along with the rest of the townspeople that stayed behind stared at the young girl. Riza fell on her knees. This blue light? The voice of the Virage? What was all of this? Who was speaking in her mind? Where was all this power coming from? She knew it wasn't the dragoon spirit, for she felt its power before. This was something completely different.

Tristan knelt beside her and hugged her. She looked up at him; her face pale with fear and confusion.

"What is happening to me?"

"Shh," he whispered, holding her tighter. "It's over. It's all over."

A small pebble flew and hit Riza on the arm.

"Witch!" A woman cried in the crowd. She picked up another pebble and threw it. "Get out!"

Tristan stood up, knocking the rock. He growled. "What the hell is wrong with you? She just saved your lives and _this…_" He picked up a pebble from the ground. "…_this_ is how you repay her? Ungrateful bastards!" He threw the pebble into the crowd, which dispersed to avoid it.

"It was that weird blue light that woke up that _thing _in the first place!" A lanky old man said, pointing an accusing finger at Riza. The crowd started to murmur in agreement.

"Wait! But she did save us!"

Riza looked up. It was Garrett. He turned to the archeologists. "You guys were looking for some 'hidden power' and you found it. Just because it went out of control you want to make some innocent girl a scapegoat? You have no one to blame but yourselves!"

"Shut up boy, you don't know what you are talking about!"

"What about her friends?" Another added. "Where did they get all that power?"

"They are a bunch of freaks!"

"They are a threat to our entire country!"

"Yeah!" the crowd agreed.

Garrett sighed and looked at Riza, with sad eyes. She nodded, understanding. She was no longer welcomed here. She got up and ran to give Garrett a hug.

"Thank you, for everything. No words can describe how grateful I am to you."

He returned the hug. "The black haired boy…Is that him? The 'someone else'?" he whispered.

Riza looked up at him, wide eyed and blushed, before giving him a slight nod.

"I could tell by the way you looked at each other," he said simply, smiling sheepishly. He hugged her tighter. "Take care of yourself."

Riza nodded again. "You too. Tell your grandmother I've traded my armor for her dress." She laughed weakly and walked away, toward her friends. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply and exhaled. Turning to the people she yelled:

"We're leaving!"

Her eyes fell on Garrett and she smiled. She wished she could do more for him; after all thanks to him that she was still alive. Maybe their lives would cross again? She didn't know.

Vector called her and she went to him. He closed his eyes, concentrating, and then a small green orb surrounded the three of them. And before anyone could blink, they had left Dalio.

They landed at the docks in Feuno. Riza wobbled a bit, trying to regain her balance. She had never traveled so fast in her life. She felt as if her body was here but her stomach was back in Dalio. Tristan covered his mouth and ran to the edge of the pier. She laughed a little, before turning to Vector. "Thank you for finding me."

"I'm glad you are safe," he replied. "Tristan was the most persistent, though, so you should thank him as well."

She nodded as she watched Tristan walk back. His mouth was wet, having rinsed his mouth of bile. "What about me Wingly?"

Vector waved his hand dismissing the question. He turned to Riza. "Come. We have to tell the others that you are here. They would be overjoyed." He walked ahead, and Riza lagged behind to walk in synch with Tristan.

"Feeling better?" she asked, chuckling a bit.

He grunted. "First dangling my body over the ocean, now this? The idiot is trying to kill me!"

"Dangling your body over the ocean?" She asked cocking her head a bit. "What's that about?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. He looked at her for a minute, up and down. "I didn't know you were a dress person."

"I'm not. I was slightly forced into it."

"Well…you look nice," he said. Riza looked up at him. "But you shouldn't wear that type of stuff during battle. It gives you no protection what so ever!"

They reached the hotel where Riza was tackled by Kylin and was bombarded with hugs. She was happy to see her friends again.

Vector leaned against the wall as Riza chatted with the others about what happened.

_How is possible that the Virage awoke after all these years of slumber? Was it the rancor for the Dragoons that stirred it, perhaps? Or…_

He gazed at Riza for a long time.

_Or does it really have something to do with __**Riza**__ and not the fact she was a dragoon? The blue light she emitted destroyed the Virage in an instant! What is she to the Virage?_

* * *

Lohita walked down the long and narrow hallway. When she reached her master's quarters, the doors automatically opened.

"Enter."

She obeyed and bowed.

"Report!" The aged Wingly ordered.

"The humans have retrieved another dragoon spirit. They are heading to Mille Seseau as we speak to retrieve the White silver dragoon spirit from the First Sacred Sister there."

"What of the Moon Child?"

"From what I have gathered she was able to awaken the Virage in Jupmer, Dalio. Not only that, she was able to destroy the Virage instantly."

"The power of the Virage Embryo is incredible!" Her master chuckled to himself. "And Melbu thought he could control it? The fool!" He rose from his seated position and walked over to the bookshelf. His bony fingers glazed over the worn-out books until he found the one he was looking for. "I have been waiting for this moment for over 11,000 years." He smirked and looked over to Lohita.

"Continue to keep an eye on them. When they have collected all seven dragoon spirits, capture the Moon Child. Humans easily give into their emotions and they will follow you. Bring them here, that way we will have all the spirits and the Moon Child in our grasps!"

"Understood!"

"Bring the Bardel Brothers with you. You cannot handle the power of four dragoons on your own, let alone seven."

She was about to object, but held her tongue. "I understand, Master."

"The preparations are almost complete."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Well, I hope this was an exciting chapter for you guys. Man, I posted this up really quickly as well. Man I am just on a roll. Creative juices are just making my fingers type mad fast!

Anyway, the next chapter is a little history, going into the past and whatnot. Some more character development, I guess you can say. R&R.


	13. White Silver

**Disclaimer**: Legend of Dragoon doesn't belong to me.

**Author's Note**: Btw, there is some 'elfin' conversation so I put translations at the end. You should get the gist of conversation, but to help you, when the elves start going into full blown conversations, then I will put that in English. Hope you enjoy. :)

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 13**

It was mid afternoon when the group finally boarded the Queen Fury. It was only a matter of time before the vast ship docked into the harbor of Furni, the Water City—the front door to Mille Seseau. Kylin pressed her face on the mast, gazing at the shore. Her home was only a few steps away, yet she found herself sighing at the thought of returning. She knew that her journey with the dragoons would have to come to an end sooner or later, but she was wishing that it would be the latter. Her heart felt torn. Indeed she wanted to go home. For years she had been dreaming of this day, to be embraced by her father, mother and brother, but she would miss her new friends. She had formed such a bond with everyone; she felt as if they we part of her family. She gripped the gemstone that hung on a necklace around her neck.

_Crayk…Lani…_

Would she ever meet them again? Mille Seseau was so far away from the Broken Isles; the thought of meeting again seemed impossible. Kylin sighed again and looked up as the ship drew near to the harbor. Her right shoulder suddenly felt heavy. She looked up and saw Derrick, who was smiling at her.

"Don't worry, you're almost home," he said reassuringly, misinterpreting her sigh for one of grief for her home.

Kylin responded with a weak smile and followed him off the ship. A cool breeze passed, and she couldn't help but smile. Lohan had a much warmer climate, but she had always loved the cold weather.

"We better get going," Vector said. "We have to reach Deningrad and get the dragoon spirit before nightfall."

"And drop you off home as well," Riza smiled, looking down at the elfin girl.

Upon entering the maze-like Evergreen Forest, Kylin couldn't help but feel anxious. The birds weren't chirping, and the small rodents weren't scurrying around. Something didn't feel right. Her ear twitched when she heard a swift movement in the trees.

_WOOSH!_

Immediately Kylin raised her shield, blocking the arrow from hitting her. She looked up and soon the trees were filled with hooded figures aiming arrows at her and her friends. Kylin went closer to her friends and they formed a circle watching from each angle.

"Egt uot of uor refost mahuns!" One of the hooded figures raged.

Kylin gasped._ That's elfin! _

"Get out of our way!" Tristan readied his rapier.

"Wait, let me handle this." Kylin cautiously walked forward. The last thing she wanted was a massacre in the forest. Perhaps if she reasoned with them…

"We omce in apece," she said speaking in her native tongue. She dropped her shield to show that she had no intention in fighting. "I am Kylin, ghdauter of Kublia nad Wander of hte Teasern Olbe. I avhe urretned omhe tafer anmy ayers. Eaplse elt us asps ntio the itcy of hte mahuns."

The crowd of elves began to murmur. One elf jumped from the tree.

"Kylin?" the elf repeated. He walked over to her, ignoring the humans around her. Kylin jerked a bit as he drew closer, and eyed the dagger in his hand. As if sensing her uneasiness, he took off his hood, revealing a pale face covered in red markings, a pair of golden eyes and long brown hair. "Si't me, Kael."

"Kael…?" Kylin asked. "Is hatt oyu?" She couldn't believe her eyes. Her little brother…was…he looked so different and older, but he was the still the same Kael. She couldn't help the tears from flowing from her eyes.

Kael inched closer before embracing her in a hug. "I nekw oyu erwe ialve!" He cooed her as she cried in his shoulder. His fierce golden eyes looked over her shoulder to the humans behind. "I onw't elt hetm akte oyu aagin!"

"Eh?"

Kael punched the butt of his dagger into Kylin's stomach and watched as she fell into his arms, unconscious. He placed the girl over his shoulder, and adjusted her, so she wouldn't fall.

"Gforive me." he whispered. Ignoring the cries of the humans below, he quickly jumped to the trees. He turned to the other elves and said: "Ilkl hetm!" before retreating deeper into the forest.

* * *

"This is bad…" Kish said as an army of arrows surged down on them. He parried the arrows with his steel bow and countered with arrows of his own. However, these elves were Kylin's family, killing them was out of the question. Aiming meticulously, he paralyzed each of the elves he shot. However, no matter how many elves he hit, the rain of arrows continued. "What do we do now?" They could keep this up for long.

"The enemy has an advantage staying in the trees at such a high elevation." Vector pondered for a moment. "I have an idea, cover me." He narrowed his eyes in concentration. Cerulean but transparent wings extended from his back and he began to elevate, much to the elves surprise. Vehemently, Vector moved his right arm in a circular motion.

"KAZE!"

A strong gust suddenly formed from his arm and rush into the trees, shaking them violently. Many elves fell from the protected canopy to the ground.

Tristan noticed the number of elves. There were too many of them to count, let alone defeat them all. A thought suddenly came to his mind. A black blanket of energy surrounded him and he was in his dragoon form.

"What are you doing?! We can't kill them!" Riza yelled.

"I'm not going to _kill_ them," Tristan retorted. "Just scare them a bit." He closed his eyes and channeled his energy into his rapier. Black ooze flew from the tip of the sword and circled around a group of the elves, turning into a purple fog.

"Trepidation!"

Immediately the elves began to panic and scream as their greatest fears manifested before their very eyes. Wanting to escape the torment, a number of them ran, but not all were caught in the spell. Tristan cussed, realizing that he had missed a few stray elves. He deflected an arrow. Damn, these people were persistent.

Kish looked around, relaxing a little as the number of elves decreased. Still they were not done yet. A flash of silver from the trees caught his attention. He aimed his arrow, reading himself. He hadn't noticed the elf in the tree behind him. With one single arrow, the elf hit his target. Kish hissed as he felt the arrow hit his right shoulder blade. He immediately turned and shot the elf down. However, the pain he felt in his shoulder was immense. Kish fell to the ground; his body was beginning to feel numb. He looked at his arm to take in the damage and his eyes widened. His arm was slowly turning to stone! Using all his strength, Kish got up and tried to walk toward a tree, so he could hide from the other elves. However his right leg muscle hardened as well, and increased in weight, causing him to fall.

"Kish!" Riza screamed, noticing his body lying on the ground. She ran to his lame body and gasped when she saw his condition.

"Vector can you help him?" Riza asked when Vector came down to see what was going on. Kish was breathing heavily and gnashing his teeth. The petrifaction had already taken his right arm and both his legs and was slowly moving up the other arm.

"Healing him will slow it down temporarily. The spell only accelerates if the victim is wounded, hence the arrow." He went into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle, opened it and poured it down Kish's throat. The wound on his shoulder healed and the petrifaction stopped.

Hearing her husband's name, Nayeli turned and ran to where Kish was as well. She quickly knelt beside him and looked him over. "What the hell is happening to him?" She looked over to Vector, her emerald eyes full emotion.

"He's been hit with a petrified arrow and it is slowly covering his body," Vector said.

"I don't care. How do you fix it?" Nayeli snapped.

"We need a _depetrifier_, but we don't have any. It was only a matter of time until…"

"BASTARDS!!!!" Nayeli raged. She quickly got up and ran to the nearest elf she could get her hands on. She grabbed the elf by the head and threw it into another, before one could shot an arrow at her. Her spirit energy increased rapidly and the earth dragoon spirit glowed. Rock, minerals and dirt soon surrounded her until finally she was in her dragoon form. She began to punch the ground violently, causing the earth to shake. The remaining elves began to run, but she was able to catch one. Vines began to engulf the elf, suffocating him. Nayeli flew to him, pointing her fist to his face.

"If you do not tell me how to reverse that spell you just cast on my husband, I swear I will break that tiny thing you call a head!"

"…eaplse hosw…rmecy…" the elf wheezed.

"Nayeli, let him go," Derrick said, cautiously walking toward the angered woman.

"Why should I?" she snapped.

"It is very unlikely that he can reverse the spell. If we get to Deningrad quickly, we will be able to help Kish." Derrick hoped she would understand his reason.

Nayeli contemplated for a moment, before putting down her fist, leaving the elf in the vines. She ran to her husband's side. Kish turned to her and smiled.

"Don't worry…" he said between breaths. "It will be… alright."

Nayeli scoffed. "You should stop worrying about other people and worry about yourself for a change." She placed her hand under Kish's head and his waist, and hoisted him up carefully. She positioned him in her arms, so he could feel as comfortable as possible. She turned to others.

"Well come on. I don't know the way!"

* * *

Kylin slowly opened her eyes and moaned.

"Oh, Wander! Kael! She's awake! Kylin's awake!" The sound of a woman's voice bombarded her ears. Her eyes opened fully and she saw a woman before her. The woman had long brown hair with amber eyes. The woman embraced her in a hug, muttering and crying at the same time. Kylin gasped.

"M…mother?" She couldn't believe it. Her mother… it was really…she holding her as she had done so many years ago. Kylin hugged her mother tightly, fearing that this was merely an apparition. "Is this a dream?"

"No, my child," her mother gasped between sobs. "I've prayed for this day for so long. Oh Kylin, my daughter. My first child!"

"Let her get some rest," her father said. "She must be tired."

Her mother nodded and kissed her on the head before leaving. Kylin sat up looked around. Their underground home was exactly as she remembered it. The mud walls that kept her warm during the harsh winters and the wooden bed with the soft sheets her mother made for her. She noticed her brother leaning on the wall at the entrance of her room. He said nothing, but just stood there like a silent sentinel. Upon looking at her brother, she automatically touched her stomach. For some reason it ached…then she remembered…

"Kael, you didn't have to hurt me like that," she said, looking at her brother angrily. "We could've just talked."

He only shrugged. Kylin grunted, when something dawned on her.

"Wait, what happened to my friends? The ones who were accompanying me?"

"You don't need to worry about those humans anymore," he replied, speaking for the first time.

"What do you mean… by that…?" she inquired, getting up slowly. Kael said nothing and Kylin gasped. "Don't tell me you had them killed! Kael?" She grabbed her brother by the shoulders. "Why? How could you?"

"It was the humans who took you away and made you suffer. I just returned the favor." Kael responded calmly, however his voice was coated with annoyance.

"They didn't capture me. They _saved_ my life and were just trying to bring me home!" Tears were running down her face.

"Well you are home now," her brother snapped, pushing her off of him. She fell to the ground and his golden eyes looked down at her. "So stop wasting your tears on those pathetic bastards!" And with that, he left the room.

Kylin hugged her knees. Were her friends safe? Were they even alive? They had to be. They had defeated many strong creatures before, and besides they had those dragoon spirits. She hoped nobody was hurt, from either side. She wanted to see them, but sitting here was getting her nowhere. Kylin got up; she was going to look her them herself.

Kylin cautiously exited her home and went to the surface. She had to make sure that she didn't run into her father or her mother. When she was away from her home, she broke out into a run. As she approached the edge of the bole, she saw her brother standing there, glaring at her. Did he figure she would do this?

"Let me pass!" Kylin ordered. Her authority as the eldest child meant that those younger than her must obey.

"No." her brother said, disobediently, extending his dagger.

"Kael I'm serious," Kylin said. "I need to do this!"

"I am serious as well. I'm not letting you leave." His eyes narrowed. "Mother had taken your disappearance quite hard, and she fell ill. We couldn't go into the human cities for some sort of elixir, since that was forbidden and we had no idea what to do or had to help her. All she kept saying was how she wanted you back." Kael sighed. "Soon after that, she became pregnant. It helped a bit I suppose, but she wasn't the same after that." He looked at his sister. "Didn't you see how happy she was when she saw you? How could you want to go back after that? I don't understand your desire to stay with the humans after all they have done to you."

Kylin looked down at her feet. "I understand Kael. I truly do. For so long I have wanted to return home. I tried to run away, but I was always caught. I thought that humans were evil as well until I met Riza and Tristan and the rest of my friends. They saved my life. I want to help them anyway I can. It is the least I can do."

Kael shook his head. "No! You _can't_ go back! I won't let you. I've waited too long…" Unwanted tears began to escape his eyes. He wiped his face, but they continued to flow. Kylin edged closer to her brother and hugged him. No matter how manly he tried to act, he was still a boy, her little brother. She stroked his head as he cried in her shoulder. He gently pushed her away and looked at the grass below. "Everyone thought you were dead, but I didn't. I knew you had to be alive. Please don't leave us again…" His golden eyes looked so sad, full of yearning.

"But I…" Kylin staggered. She didn't know how to respond.

Kael turned away. "You still want to go, don't you?"

Kylin lowered her head. She didn't want to leave her family, but it wouldn't be like before. "It's not like I'll be gone forever…" Her voice was sad, but still determined.

Kael glanced at her. Even though they had been apart for four years, he still knew his sister. She wouldn't be happy unless she left. He sighed and grudgingly said: "You're a stubborn idiot, you know that? But then again, if you weren't, you wouldn't be my beloved sister, now would you."

Kylin looked up surprised at his words. She smiled and gave him a hug.

"But you're coming back as soon as your dumb debt is paid, got it?"

"Of course," Kylin agreed.

"And it better be quick. I'll tell Mother that you will be leaving, but only for a week. If you don't come back before then, I'll drag you back here and I don't want to hear any complaints!" He hit her lightly on the head.

"Thank you." She sighed in relief.

"Before you go, I want to give you something." He pulled out a small yellow, transparent ball and handed it to her.

"What is it?" Kylin asked.

"It is kind of like a good luck charm. It's kept me safe so far and I want to you to have it." Kael watched as his sister squeezed the ball in her hand. "It signifies your promise."

"I will come back. And when I do, I'll return this to you."

"That's right! I don't give you valuable items so you can keep them!" He replied. "Now get going, before I change my mind."

Kylin laughed. "Right, because _you're_ the _older_ sibling here."

"Age is insignificant when you are male."

Kylin laughed even harder. Kael smiled. He hadn't seen his sister like this in a long time. He looked at his sister seriously. "Come back soon."

She nodded. After hugging her brother once more, she ran as fast as she could to find her friends.

* * *

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!!!"

The vendor backed away a bit as Nayeli slammed her fist on the table, breaking it in two. "We have… run out of depetrifier…" he restated hesitantly.

"Then why don't you go and get some more?!" Nayeli retorted; her green eyes flared with annoyance at the tiny vendor.

"Ship…shipment doesn't come for another week so…"

Nayeli cussed. She looked at her husband who was lying on the floor. She had to find a way to help him. They had flown to Deningrad as quickly as they could. It had taken them an hour to get there. The others were searching the city as well to see what they could find, but no one seemed to have the item she needed. Soa, these people live in a place around elves with arrows that basically kill, isn't expected that they had depetrifiers handy? Perhaps, if she flew with her dragoon spirit to another town…?

"Calm down…Eli…" Kish said, wheezing. It took a lot of energy out of him just to talk. "It'll…be alright." He moaned in pain.

"Quiet," she snapped. Then her eyes softened. Why did he always have to be like this? Couldn't care about his condition instead of hers for a change? "Don't waste your energy on me," she added more softly.

"Perhaps…" the item vendor started cautiously, causing to look up at him. "The church usually has some remedies at hand, perhaps…"

"Perhaps I could be of assistance," a voice interrupted. Nayeli turned and saw an older woman walking towards her. She had short blond hair and was wearing a long dark blue gown. She had a serene look about her that appealed to Nayeli. The woman edged closer and knelt down to examine Kish's condition. She got up and turned to the anxious wife. "I am Wink, the Third Sacred Sister of Mille Seseau. If you follow me to the Crystal Palace, I'm sure you will find some help there. But we must hurry; the petrifaction is starting to spread."

Without even replying, Nayeli quickly hoisted Kish into her arms. She saw that the mineral was moving upward to his torso. Not wasting anytime, she broke out into a run, with Wink following her tail. As she approached the castle, she noticed the others coming from all angles. As if taking a clue, the others followed her into the palace. She slowed down, know that this place wasn't her own home and she had no idea where she was going.

Wink ushered her into a guest room up the stairs to the left and told Nayeli to place Kish on the bed. She ordered one of the guards to call First Sister Miranda immediately. Within seconds Miranda was in the room, irritable that she was summoned away from her duties. Wink quickly explained the situation to her; however, Miranda regrettably shook her head.

"I no longer can awaken the healing powers of the dragoon spirit. I'm sorry."

"No…" Nayeli couldn't believe her ears. "NO!"

"Eli…"Kish coughed. The spell had taken over his whole torso and now was quickly moving to his face. "It's okay…"

"NO! NO! NO! Damn it!" Tears were rushing out of her eyes. How could he say this was okay? How could he be so damn calm?! She was going to lose him and for what? Why did they go on this journey? This would've never happened if they had just stayed home! She pulled out her dragoon spirit and cussed. "Why can't this stupid thing heal?!" She turned to Kish and knelt on the right side of the bed, gripping his petrified hand. "Don't leave me." She was hiccupping and crying so hard. "Please…"

"I…love…" Kish whimpered. The petrifaction had moved and covered his mouth.

"Perhaps if you hold the two dragoon spirits together it will activate the White Silver healing power," Miranda suggested, giving Nayeli the white dragoon spirit.

The petrifaction, however had already consumed Kish. He lay on the bed, a heavy stone statue.

"We may have been too late…" Wink said, bowing her head.

"No…Kish…NNNOOOO!!!!!!" Nayeli cried over her husband. "Why? Why Soa?!"

Suddenly the golden and the white dragoon spirits began to glow brightly. A white light engulfed Kish, forming a dome over him and the stone slowly faded. He gasped for air and breathed heavily.

Nayeli stared, wide eyed, in shock. "Kish…" She looked at her dragoon spirit which stopped glowing and lay dormant on Kish's lap. However the light from the white silver dragoon spirit continued to illuminate and cushioned itself into Kish's hands.

Kish smiled at Nayeli. "I told you it was going to be alright."

"Stupid…" she hugged her husband strongly, but he didn't mind. "Don't _ever _do that to me again."

"Truly fate has brought us all together," Vector injected.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I am sorry for the long wait, but dude the semester is ending and the teachers are like piling essays like there is no tomorrow. And the first month of summer ain't gonna be that cool either, cuz I am taking summer courses. Please don't be mad! :( I'll try to update as soon as possible.

Here are your translations just in case you couldn't figure it out:

"Egt uot of uor refost mahuns!" = Get out of our forest humans!

"We omce in apece," = We come in peace

"I am Kylin, ghdauter of Kublia nad Wander of hte Teasern Olbe. I avhe urretned omhe tafer anmy ayers. Eaplse elt us asps ntio the itcy of hte mahuns." = I am Kylin, daughter of Kublia and Wander of the Eastern Bole. I have returned home after many years. Please let us pass into the city of the humans.

"Si't me, Kael."= "It's me, Kael."

"Is hatt oyu? = Is that you?

"I nekw oyu erwe ialve!" = I know you were alive

"I onw't elt hetm akte oyu aagin!" = I won't let them take you again!

"Gforive me." = Forgive me

"Ilkl hetm!" = Kill them!

"…eaplse hosw…rmecy…" = "Please show mercy."


	14. Forest of the Winglies

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the Legend of Dragoon characters. Even the fetus pig I dissected isn't mine. I named him and everything! :(

**Author's Note**: I don't have anything to say, but thanks for reading my story guys. I'm glad you enjoy it. Now on with the chapter!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 14**

The Queen listened intently as the young travelers explained their situation. However, she sighed and shook her head. "I am truly sorry, but I'm afraid I cannot help you."

Miranda stood next to the throne beside the queen, looking at the men and women before her. The dragoon spirits had chosen new masters, and she found that fact rather odd. It wasn't as if the wielders before were dead, but it wasn't her choice to make. After hearing what the travelers had told her about the Wingly's attempt to steal the dragoon spirit, she knew that this was out of her hands. Only one person could help them when it came to Winglies.

"I suggest you talk to Meru. She is the Wingly Ambassador," Miranda sighed. "The problem is that she's never in one place. The only thing you can do it wait for her."

"You are welcomed to stay in the castle for the time being," the Queen proposed. "It is almost nightfall."

"We appreciate your hospitality, your Majesty, but it is necessary that we solve the mystery behind this Wingly woman as soon as possible." Vector said, bowing. He looked up and smiled. "However, it would be an honor to reside in the castle when we return."

"Of course," the Queen replied, smiling at the young man's polite behavior.

As the exited the throne room, Tristan rolled his eyes. "Who died and made you the leader here?" he asked, his green eyes looking at the Wingly.

"No one," Vector replied, walking down the stairs. "I was just merely saying what we needed to do."

"…And what is up with this 'we' business? I don't know about you, but _I_ wanted to get some sleep. Battling those elves was rather tiring."

"We don't have time for that," Vector argued as the exited the castle.

"I don't see what the big rush is," Nayeli added. "We have to wait for this Meru person anyway. A little rest never hurt anyone."

"Thank you! I'm glad someone else sees this," Tristan said.

"Hmph," Vector turned his head, not wanting to hear anymore, even if his comrades had a point.

Riza rolled her eyes. _Here we go again._ She found that if she just ignored the two, she would be fine. Derrick, on the other hand, wasn't feeling the same way.

"You know, you two bicker all the time. Why don't you just give it a rest?" Derrick said, injecting himself into the conversation. He turned to Nayeli. "And _you_ aren't making it any better."

Nayeli cocked a brow and her mouth opened, about to speak, when her husband placed his hand over it. "I think it would be best to just keep silent, don't you?" Kish said, smiling down at her. She glared at him, pouting her covered lips in annoyance.

Tristan scoffed. "Whatever, I'm going to practice with my rapier. Call me if something important is actually happening." With that he walked down the stairs to the underground training facility.

"Hey wait up! I'm coming to!" Riza hollered, running to catch up with him.

"I think I'm going to occupy myself with some shopping," Derrick said looking at his bag. "We're short on supplies."

"Let's go Nayeli," Kish chirped, putting his arm around his wife. "Why don't we look at the beauty that is Deningrad?"

"There's nothing beautiful about this place." Nayeli snapped. "It's cold, murky, and has no color!"

"Wait! If we all split up how are we supposed to find each other when the Wingly Ambassador shows up?" Vector asked.

Tristan turned his head. "That's why we are _telling_ you where we are going," he retorted. "Why don't you go to the library or something?" A smile formed on his face; he couldn't help but add: "_Smartass_."

* * *

Vector sighed and rested his head on his hand. Usually books had a way of bringing him into a different world, but these books just didn't suffice him. His mind was elsewhere. He got up and glanced over the bookshelf when a certain book caught his attention. Taking it out of the rack, he sat down and began to flip through its pages. Each page was filled with elaborate and detailed illustrations. One picture showed a baby girl, dressed in white robes, holding a golden staff. She sat on a red circular throne and surrounding her was a group of winged cherubs blowing trumpets. Vector looked at the caption below:

"_The gods look over us as the Moon That Never Sets. Every 108 years the moon glows red as a sign that a herald is sent to the world. The herald is known as the Moon Child, who revives the gods on earth and purifies the world." _

_More like: revives the __**Virages**__ on earth and __**destroys**__ the world,_ Vector thought.

He noticed another picture below the caption. A black creature was devouring the child and the cherubs were weeping.

"_However a demon, the Black Monster, hates it and kills the Moon Child. This is an endless karma and the gods stay in the sky while the world is in never ending chaos." _

Vector flipped to the page before it.

"_Winglies are people with wings of light who employ magical power. They had their glory 11,000 years ago, and had enormous magical power that could float colossal cities. They became extinct after the war with Humans who were seeking their liberation."_

He stared at the illustration of winged people and large gray beasts next to the passage. He leaned back on his chair. His mind went back to that day in Dalio. That light…what was it? Virage were creatures used by the Winglies during the Dragon Campaign when Melbu Frahma had control of the Virage Embryo. But, Riza was a human being. The Virage have no connection with them, unless…

_She's the Moon Child?_

No, that didn't make sense! How could Riza be the Moon Child? The Moon That Never Sets glows red when the soul of the Virage Embryo transmigrates into a human, but it glowed almost 35 years ago, and Riza was only 16! Mathematically, the answer was obvious, but he couldn't help but flirt with the possibility.

Although he had no knowledge of exactly _who_ the last Moon Child was, he knew it was a princess of Mille Seseau. However, there was no biological heir to the Mille Seseau throne at the present moment. From what he studied and heard, the Moon Child escaped the former darkness dragoon's, or what the humans refer to as the Black Monster, wrath and the wrong child was killed. Apparently, the deceased princess had a twin who was the real Moon Child. It was understandable that the former darkness dragoon made such a mistake. Until recently, humans believed that twins were a taboo and brought bad luck, and usually the healthier of the twins were chosen to live, while the other was killed. But was it different when it came to royalty? Perhaps someone had taken one of the princesses and ran off, while the other child was left to become the next successor of Mille Seseau. It made sense, at least to him anyway. How else could the Moon Child have lived?

Vector closed his eyes and began to rub his temples. The former Moon Child lived and became a pawn for Melbu Frahma seventeen years ago, but what was the story after that? Did the Moon Child die? Did she live? And what did this have to do with Riza? That he did not know. That's what he got for leaving Ulara to go 'exploring'.

_I bet Charle could fill in some…_

"Hey, whacha reading?" a perky voice asked, causing him to almost fall off his leaned chair. Vector soon relaxed when he saw the familiar large chestnut eyes looking at him.

"Riza, what are you doing here?" Vector asked, regaining his composure. "I thought you were training with Tristan."

Riza leaned forward against the table. "Yeah I was, but I came to get you because..." She glanced down at a picture in the book. She looked up at Vector with ireful eyes. "What's this?"

"Just something I was looking up," he casually responded. He noticed the coldness in her words and closed the book. "You were saying?"

Riza's jaws tightened and she glared at Vector. She could help but feel betrayed by him. Ever since that day in Dalio, he had been acting differently around her. The fact that he was looking up information about the Virage should have appeased her, but for some reason it only annoyed her. Did he think of her as some sort of a freak? Inhuman, like the people in the village thought?

"Riza! Vector! That Wingly Ambassador is here. What's taking you so long?" Tristan hollered as he entered the library. He looked at each of them, sensing the tension. "Did something happen?"

Vector sighed. He got up from his seat, picked up the book from the table and put it back in the bookshelf before leaving the library. Tristan looked at Riza, who just stood there, glaring at the door that Vector had left from.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine," she snapped. She averted her eyes to the ground.

Tristan cocked his brow, but decided not to press the subject. "Alright, then let's go."

-------

"Hmm…this is a tough question." The Wingly ambassador, Meru, leaned against the wall of the throne room. She had a petite frame with long silver held in a high ponytail with a large blue bow. Despite the frigid weather, she wore very little clothing. She placed her hand on her chin, pondering the question. A blue glint caught her attention. She looked at Vector's chest and pointed at him. "Hey, I was looking for that!"

"Meru, concentrate!" Miranda snapped.

The female Wingly sighed and raised her arms in the air. "I give up. I don't know! But…" She looked at the dragoons before her. "Ancestor Blano might know something."

Once again, they were walking in the Evergreen Forest, this time with Meru leading them. Vector glanced at Riza. He could tell she was still upset and he sighed and walked to her.

"Riza, may I have a word with you?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. Riza looked at him for a minute before nodding. He motioned her towards the back of the group, so they wouldn't be heard.

"About what happened in the library," the Wingly sighed. "I apologize if I offended you any way. I was only trying to find information that would help in understanding what happened that day."

Riza shook her head. "No, don't apologize. I should, for overreacting. Still…" She looked at her comrades ahead of her. "Don't tell the others about what happened. I just want to focus on this mission."

Vector nodded. "Agreed."

As the dragoons walked deeper into the forest, they noticed a rustling in the trees. They were surprised when a familiar small green haired girl fell from the tree and landed in front of them.

"Kylin?!"

The diminutive half-elf chuckled, pulling a pine branch from her hair. "Hey guys. I knew if I waited long enough you'd come." Kylin got up and stretched. "I'm hanging out with you for a while. Hope you don't mind…Ow my bum." She hissed, caressing her bottom.

"Not at all," Derrick answered, laughing a little.

"So where you guys headed now?" Kylin chirped, walking in synch with Derrick.

"To the Forest of the Winglies." He looked down at her. "Ever heard of it?"

"Hmm….it sounds familiar…" Kylin mused.

"Here we are at the entrance of the Forest of the Winglies!" Meru stated, pointing to a group of trees.

"Who's she?" the elf asked, noticing the new addition to the team.

"She is the Wingly Ambassador. I believe her name is Meru." Derrick responded.

"Where's the entrance?" Riza looked around. "There are only trees here."

Meru shook her head. "Just stand back." She closed her eyes and lifted her hands and a light began to illuminate. Then her wings protruded out of her back and a portal was opened. "There is a magical boundary that separates the humans from the Winglies. It might take some time before integration actually occurs between the two." She walked up the stairs and turned to the awed travelers. "Don't just stand there. Come on!"

Meru led them to a jade circular platform. She ushered them to step on it, and when they did, it teleported them to the center of the city. All but Vector, who was accustomed to such travel, gasped in amazement.

"This is the power of the Winglies…" Kish murmured.

They continued on, noticing the people paused to look at the newcomers. A large tree stood in the square of the Forest and levels and sublevels protruding out of it. They were once again led to another teleporter that relocated them to the top of the green infrastructure and walked inside to the room. Green and blue lights illuminated from the ceiling and tall pillars with strange markings supported it. On a throne in the rear of the room sat an elderly man with silver hair only on his beard and the sides of his head. He wore a white robe with green embroidery on his shoulders and a golden belt. He rose from his seat and smiled at them.

"Welcome. Humans, Giganto, and Elf. I am Blano the Ancestor of the Forest."

Derrick went on one knee and bowed his head. Riza and Tristan followed suit. "I am the head of the First Knighthood of Serdio, Derrick Canson. I apologize for the unannounced visit. However…" Derrick got up and looked at the Ancestor. "…this is a very urgent matter. Please, we require your assistance."

The Ancestor nodded. "I understand. I will help in any way I can."

But, before Derrick could speak, he was cut off by Tristan.

"Ancestor Blano, several years ago, a group of Winglies attacked a mountain village within the Serdian border." Tristan said with narrowed eyes. "Do you have any idea who could've done this?"

_If this was the place where Winglies have hidden themselves, then perhaps they had something to do with what happened at Hautz. The old man had to know something._

Ancestor Blano shook his head. "I am ashamed that our brethren have taken it upon themselves to raid villages; but I am afraid I do not know."

Tristan cussed under his breath. Just when he thought he was closer to avenging his parents and his home…

"What about Winglies seeking refuge in the west?" Derrick asked. "Surely you know something about that."

The elderly Wingly thought for a moment. "Flanvel Tower near the Kashua Glacier lies west of here."

Vector's head snapped up.

"Oh, you mean that swirly thing?" Meru asked. "I remember that place."

The aged Wingly nodded. "Yes, Flanvel Tower was a mobile fort commanding by Magician Faust. He was a very powerful Wingly and his magical powers were like none other." He glanced at Vector, who averted his eyes to the floor. "However, Magician Faust died 11,000 years ago after Flanvel Tower was shot down during the Dragon Campaign, so he is no longer a threat, unless…"

"Unless he is still alive," Vector replied coldly, completing the Ancestor's sentence.

Tristan eyed his Wingly companion for a moment. The mention of this Faust character seemed to be agitating Vector…but why?

"That is a possibility, but I highly doubt that. What I do suspect is that it is the work of Wingly radicals who still hold onto the past after all these years." Ancestor Blano shook his head. "It is possible that you are looking for the Bardel Brothers."

"Ancestor, are you sure?" Meru responded in disbelief.

"Who are the Bardel Brothers?" Riza asked.

"Two brothers, Laius and Lenox, they used to live here," the elderly Wingly said. "Since the day their sister was killed by humans, they want nothing more than human annihilation. After Meru and her friends defeated Melbu Frahma, the brothers left with a few others outside the forest. They haven't been seen or heard from in many years…" Ancestor shook his head. "If you find them, I believe you will be much closer to what you seek."

* * *

When the group returned to the Crystal Palace, Vector immediately retreated to one of the guest rooms and shut the door, eating nothing. He needed to think, even was on an empty stomach. Vector lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling. His mind was racing, working, calculating, yet he couldn't help but feel frustrated. How could he have forgotten about Flanvel Tower? How foolish of him!

He didn't want to lose his composure, but the mere mention of that cursed name drove him almost over the edge. Faust: the great Magician during the Dragoon Campaign and the right hand man of Wingly dictator Melbu Frahma. He was feared by many; even Melbu Frahma feared his power. But Faust died all those years ago when Flanvel Tower was shot down. Vector had seen it with his own eyes, yet he began to doubt. To some degree, it made sense if Faust was the one behind everything. He had the ambitions and the power. But the pieces didn't connect. What would Faust want with the dragoon spirits? What could he possibly gain from power that he couldn't wield or harness? There had to be something else…something that was tying the loose ends together that Vector was overlooking. What was it? Then again, that was _if _Faust was behind it all and _if_ he was actually still alive. Agh, nothing was making sense anymore!

Vector sighed. He needed to cool down and think rationally rather than with emotion. Emotions only clogged his brain flow. However, he couldn't help the abhor feelings when it came to Faust. Whomever said that time heals all pain was a lair. Obviously they hadn't felt any real pain to begin with. Suppressed and ignored, yes, but healed? Never! He placed his hand into his hair and outlined the long scar that ran across his cranium. The memories may have been over 11,000 years old, but the pain was never forgotten. How could it be? It was all too clear in his mind…

_The cell was small, damp and frigid, but it was the only home the boy knew. He could barely see; the only light came from the torches that illuminated through the bars of the cell door. He tried not to think about it; if he did the feeling would only taunt him, yet his feeling of hunger was beginning to take its toll. He felt faint and allowed his body to fall; however he landed on something soft instead of the hard brick ground. He looked up; although he could barely see, he knew it was his mother. His large red eyes could only see the outline of her starved face. He noticed her face shift, and he knew she was smiling at him, trying to encourage him as she had always done since the day he was born._

_He heard hard steady footsteps coming from the corridor and his mother cuddled him closer. A pair of menacing golden eyes peered through the barred window at the door of the cell. The boy knew what it meant when those eyes stared in. He felt his mother's grip around him tighten and he wished that she would never let go. _

"_Bring the boy out." The man's voice has deep and stolid. "I want to run a few more tests."_

"_Please…" he heard his mother plead. "Please…don't take my son…I beg you…"_

_The man didn't even grace her with an answer. The door opened and a guard came in to take him away. The boy tried to resist, but his efforts were in vain. The boy was too small, too weak compared to the older guard. _

_His mother, in desperation, clung onto the man's robes. "Take me instead, but leave my son. __**Faust**__…please!" _

_His golden eyes flared and he backhanded the woman across the face, causing her to topple to the ground. "Don't __**ever**__ let me hear my name come out of that disgusting human tongue of yours! Your life is insignificant and pollutes the very cell you and your pathetic son reside in." He glared down at the woman who was crying on the ground before turning to the guard. "Make sure the door is locked behind you. And if she get's noisy, cast a fire based spell on her. That usually shuts her up."_

"_Yes, sir." The guard saluted with one hand, while holding the small boy in the other._

"_Mom!!!" the boy screamed. He didn't want to go to Aglis to be experimented upon. He hated the labs. He hated lying naked on the table. He hated the needles. He hated the knives. Everything hurt. He just wanted to be with his mother. The door was shut and bolted; a loud scream could be heard from the cell._

"_Vector!!!!!" _

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note**: Wow, I wrote a whole chapter that focused on Vecty. Hmm…there is more to Vector than meets the eye. What could this mean for the team? Well, all will be answered in due time. Just R&R and I'll get the next one posted up as soon as I can. Peace! :P


	15. Confession

**Disclaimer**: Lalalalalalala… You guys know the drill by now: I don't own LOD or its characters, but I do own this plot and the characters that were created. Please don't steal them.

**Author's Note**: Thanks for the reviews. Oh and **Leonhart**, you're right about that week thing. I didn't know it took that long. I guess I over looked that when I was reading the script for the game. My bad, I'll edited it later so they flew to Deningrad. (Yeah, I read the script…okay skim, so what? I wanna be accurate. :P)

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 15**

The sun gleamed through the yellow curtains. Riza groaned and turned the other way, trying to escape from the warm rays, but it was to no avail. She sat up and stretched her arms upward, loosening up a few tight bones. She allowed her arms to flop on her lap and she sighed.

During her short journey, she went to many different places and experienced much more than she had in her lifetime. Her mind drifted to one event in particular. The storm that stuck during her voyage on the Queen Fury knocked her right off the ship and almost to her death. As the water began to flood into her lungs, all she could think about was him. How she would never be able to see him again or to ever tell him how she felt.

Tristan the butthead. The idiot. The bane of her existence. Her tormentor. Her friend…but more.

She laughed at herself. When did _those_ type feelings start? She didn't know. Perhaps it was when he came that day when he was will to share his jerky. It was a small gesture, but it had meant a lot to her. Or when she found out that he silently supported her when she was in the Hero's Competition in Lohan. Was it sometime before all that? Were the feelings there all along, and she just refused to acknowledge them?

Even so, as strange as it sounded, it felt _right_, at least to her.

Riza sighed again. It was strange that she was thinking about that now. Perhaps if she waited _after_ their journey is completed, then she would tell him. However, all the regret that plagued her mind when she fell into the water…she didn't want that to ever happen again. She groaned. She wished she was in the forest battling a creature of some sort; that was easier to handle then this—feelings she just didn't know how to express. She couldn't do this by herself.

Riza got out of bed and headed down the hall. It seemed as if everyone was already awake. She stopped in front of a door and knocked lightly. She gave a sigh of relief when the door was opened by Nayeli.

"Uh, yes? Is there a problem?" the half Giganto asked.

"Is Kish around?"

"Kish? No. He went somewhere…" Nayeli lazily replied, wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Why? Did you need him for something?"

Riza looked at the floor nervously. This was awkward. "No…um, I wanted to talk to _you._"

"_Me_?" Nayeli inquired, surprised a bit. "Why?"

"Um, can I come inside?" the girl asked sheepishly.

"Not until you tell me why," Nayeli retorted. Riza rolled her eyes and beckoned the brawny female to lend an ear. A smile formed on Nayeli's face as Riza whispered. "Ah! I see. Come in and tell me more about this 'friend.'"

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Vector looked around at the faces in front of him. They sat in the Conference Hall of the Crystal Palace. It was a very lengthy room with a long table in the middle; perfect for what he had planned. He had called together this meeting because he had important information he wanted to disclose to his comrades. As he scanned the faces, he noticed one was missing. "Where's Tristan?"

When no one said anything he sighed. It wasn't a rhetorical question. His index and thumb pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He wasn't surprised that Tristan wasn't here, and honestly, he could care less. He was going to start the meeting without him, when Riza volunteered to go look for him. _Great, another member missing_. He nodded, allowing her to leave. He turned to the others. In the mean time, he would discuss other matters with them.

* * *

She found him in his room, leaning against the balcony, gazing at the clear pale blue sky. He looked like he was deep in thought. She edged closer, causing his head to turn to her. He gave her a small smile, and she walked over to him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Riza asked looking at the view of the city.

Tristan shrugged. "Just thinking…"

"About?"

"Nothing really."

She didn't know how to respond, so she said: "Vector says that he has some important news and wants us all there to hear it."

Tristan snorted. "Does he now? He'll probably give a whole spiel that is irrelevant before getting to the point. I'll wait a half hour." He looked down at her. "Is that all?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Riza said, turning to leave. "I'll see you in a half hour then."

"Wait," he said grabbing her arm. She cocked a brow. He was looking at her with serious eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, usually when people get thrown off a boat, and have a near death experience they are _**not**_ okay." Tristan responded, looking deeper into her eyes. His voice had sarcasm coated on it, but there was something else. Concern? "But if you say your fine…" She turned away.

"I _am_ fine," Riza said sharply, pushing his hand off her arm.

"So you've said." Tristan replied, turning back to look at the sky.

Riza turned to leave, but decided against it.

"It wasn't that bad anyway." She said joining him on the balcony. The cool breeze pressed against her chest. She liked this peaceful feeling. "I mean the near drowning stuff was awful, but I did meet some nice people. Deidra. Garrett. And even his creepy friend was pretty cool. It would've been nice to have met them under different circumstances."

Tristan said nothing for a moment. "Garrett, huh?"

"Yeah he was the guy that was there when you found me." Riza replied. "The one with the brown hair."

"Did…do you like him?" Tristan asked, focusing very hard on a one of the buildings in the distance.

"What? Like him? Why would I like him when I like…." She stopped mid sentence, biting her tongue. She was about to give herself away. "Why are you asking anyway?"

"No reason." Tristan replied. "I was just wondering."

"Great, now that we've cleared that up, I'll see you at the meeting." Riza stretched her arms. Then something dawned on her.

_Wait a minute. What does he mean' no reason'? Does he? Could it be that he…?_

She walked right up to him and turned him around. "No reason? You ask me a question like _that_ and it's for no reason?"

His face flushed slightly, shocked by her reaction and her close proximity. It took a while to collect his thoughts. "I was….I…" Tristan mentally cursed himself. What was wrong with him? He doesn't stutter!

_Come on Tristan, you're no coward. You've handled things way tougher then this and yet you can't even tell her how you feel._

"Are you actually going to say something that makes sense?" Riza replied, and then chuckled. "Never thought I'd see the day when I'd actually have to ask you to _say_ something."

Tristan took a deep breath. "Riza, I…" No, he couldn't stop now. His mind went to that day. How happy he was to see her. He was so relieved; it was as if Soa gave him another chance. "…I have feelings for you." The words flew so quickly out of his mouth, he hoped she understood. He didn't want to have to say it again. He paused and looked down at her. She had a shock expression on her face; he was expecting that. "I completely understand if you don't feel the same way I just…you're smiling?"

Riza laughed. "Wow Tristan your powers of observation never cease to amaze me."

"You're making fun of me." he replied, a little dejected.

"If I was making fun of you, you would have known." She answered, turning back to the balcony. "I'm smiling because, when I almost drowned, the one person I thought of was you. And how if I died I wouldn't be able to your jerky loving face again…or tell you how I felt."

Tristan's eyes widened, then his mouth curled into a smirk. "And how _do_ you feel?" He asked moving closer to her.

Riza looked at him and laughed even more. "I take back what I said about your powers of observation. They really **stink**."

She stepped closer to him, closing the small distance that was left between them. She tiptoed, closed her eyes and planted her lips on his. His arms found its way to her waist, drawing her closer.

----

That was how Kish found them, snuggling against each other. It was time for the meat of the meeting and he had orders from Vector go find the two teenagers. However he also had orders from the wife: "If they are snuggling, kissing or even talking close to one another, leave them alone!" He chose to listen to his wife, after all what's the worse Vector could do? He waited patiently until they were done.

Kish walked in and cleared his throat. They turned to him. Riza nodded in understanding, but Tristan groaned. They walked into the conference room where everyone else was waiting.

"What took you so long?" Vector asked. His gaze went from Riza then to Tristan. He shook his head. He didn't want to know. "Now that we are all here, there is something important I have to tell you."

He looked intensely at his companions.

"I know the location of the last dragoon spirit."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Wow, this was mad short. But, it was about time that they confessed their love for each other! Man it took me _**forever**_ to come up with this chapter. I was never really good with love scenes. I prefer fighting ones. I had to ask my sister for help. (Hangs head down in shame) I hope it isn't too cliché or sappy or whatever. The next chapters have more action, so sit tight. Don't forget to R&R. I'll update soon. :P


	16. Red Eyed Fire

**Disclaimer**: (Background Music) I had a dream that I owned LOD…yeah, it wasn't true. I don't own Legend of Dragoon, Sony does. :P

**Author's Note**: Sorry for updating so late. I kept detouring to Chapter 17 and 19. (I'm such a scatter brain.) Also, I keep having Calculus tests every week so I am studying like a maniac, then I have Drawing class which takes forever to do homework, and it was birthday weekend, then Father's Day. (I'm 19 now by the way! Yippee!) Yeah, I hope you enjoy this Chapter, though. =]

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 16**

The Conference Hall was silent for a moment.

Tristan leaned against his chair. "You know _where_ it is? Like _exactly_?" The Wingly nodded, affirming his question. "So why didn't you tell us this earlier?!"

"I thought it was best if we collected the rest before actually retrieving the last one." Vector responded. "It is safe in my home Ulara in the Death Frontier."

"'Death Frontier'?" Kish repeated. "As in the _desert_?"

Again, Vector nodded. "You needn't worry yourselves so much over the location. It serves as an excellent form of defense!"

"Our last dragoon spirit," Riza mused. "I wonder who the master of it will be."

Derrick got up from his seat. "That means we'll have to stock up on supplies." He paused when a something occurred to him. "Wait, are we walking?"

"Like hell I'm walking through a desert." Tristan blurted. "That's suicide!"

"On the contrary, it is more like strenuous exercise, but in a very short period of time." Vector commented, thoughtfully. "Anyway, I had planned that we fly for a few hours, and then walk the rest of the way."

"Um…excuse me…" a small voice mumbled.

"Why can't we just fly the whole way?" Nayeli argued.

"Guys…" The voice remained unheard.

Vector sighed. "First off, we can't just fly into the city; it just doesn't work that way. Secondly, we won't be able to see the transporting device that would take us into the city, if we flew the whole way."

"That's bull!"

"Hey!" the small voice snapped loudly. Everyone stopped talking and turned to Kylin. She shuffled in her seat, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry to interrupt, but I can't fly, so…"

The blond knight smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry, I'll carry you."

-----

After preparing the necessary supplies (and much water), and acquiring a sufficient amount of spirit points, they left the Crystal Palace and set out to the Death Frontier. The aerial view of the desert only displayed hundreds of miles of sand and giant rocks. They flew for about three hours, before Vector beckoned them to the ground.

Riza walked along side Tristan, who was grumbling the whole way. She rolled her eyes. He should learn to suck it up sometimes. While they were walking, he slyly placed his hand into hers. She looked up at him and smiled. She liked his display of affection. She squeezed his hand hard. Riza smirked when she saw his face turn a little red. She also liked that she held this kind of power over him.

A flash of light caught her attention. Riza turned, and saw something in the distance. She gasped. It was the giant tree from her dream—the Divine Tree. Sitting on top of the tree was a large Moon. She cocked her head. How strange that something like that would be here. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished without a trace.

_Must've been a mirage, _she thought. She looked again, and there it was. Flashes of blue and green lights bombarded her mind. This place, it was like a memory from a dream. The tree. The moon. Things she could almost remember, but not quite. But were they her memories? She had never been to this desert, yet it was so familiar, she couldn't help but feel drawn to it. She let go of Tristan's hand. Her feet began to move on their own. Her mind transfixed with the image of…the Moon. She stretched out her hand, wanting to touch it, to hold it, to be one with it…

"Woah! Where are you going?"

The voice startled her. Riza blinked. The Moon was gone. All she saw was endless desert. Was the desert heat playing tricks on her?

"If you haven't noticed, we are heading _that _way," Tristan scoffed, pointing to the direction of the other members of the group. He stood in front of her obscuring her vision.

"Oh right…" With one more look at vacant desert, Riza turned and briskly walked to catch up with the others.

Tristan sauntered next to her. She seemed dazed; as if her mind was in a faraway place. He lowered his head, so he could look at her more closely. "You okay?"

Riza nodded, rubbing her head lightly. "Yeah, I think my brain is a little fried from the heat."

"You got that right!" Nayeli groaned. "Why is it so damn hot here?"

"I feel dizzy…" Kylin said, leaning against Derrick for support. She was used to much colder temperatures, and the sudden climate change, began to take its toll on her.

"It's just a little further," Vector reassured them. After walking another quarter of a mile, he stopped, and turned to the others.

"Here we are."

Tristan squinted, trying to see anything that looked like a city, or any sort of habitation. He saw nothing. "This is your home?" he derided, almost laughing a bit. "I'm surprised that you chose this _particular_ spot to live, since this looks like every other part of this damn desert we just past!"

The Wingly rolled his eyes. "Ulara is a hidden city; of course you can't see it." Extending his luminescent wings, he elevated from the ground. He pulled out an emerald color necklace from under his shirt and held it out. There was a blinding flash of light, and then a city appeared in the distance. Vector returned to ground level.

"We can use this transporter to get inside." He said, pointing to the green circular structure a head of them.

Upon entering the city, they were greeted by an older Wingly woman. She had short silver hair and she wore an ivory colored ball gown. She smiled at the travelers.

"Welcome to Ulara, the Spring Breath Town. I am the guard of the teleporting device, Caron," said the woman.

Vector stepped forward. "Long time no see, Caron."

Caron's eyes widened. "Ah, Vector, it had indeed been a long time since I have seen you. And you have brought guests!" She seemed excited at the thought. "Tell me, how were you're travels."

"They were fine, thank you," he replied politely. "I would like to have an audience with Charle. Is she around?"

Caron nodded. "Yes, she is where she is normally, or have you forgotten that?" She chuckled.

They group followed Vector north. It seemed like it was easy to get lost here. The city was almost like a maze, with many forks and paths for one to take.

"Ow! I think the thing just bit me!" A male voice howled in the distance. Giggling followed.

"That's what you get." This time it was a female's voice. "She told you not to put your hand there. What part of 'Man-eating plant' do you not understand? You are such an idiot!"

Kylin's ears perked up. _That voice…_ She began to brisk walk ahead, pushing Vector aside. A few feet away stood a three people. One of them was a tall silver haired female; the other was a shorter female with short amber colored hair; and the last was a tall male, with straight brown hair. He was slouching, with his finger in his mouth.

"It hurts." The male groaned.

Kylin's eyes widened. _It's him!_

"CRAYK!!" She immediately broke into a run and hugged the former bandit leader's waist tightly. "You're here!"

Crayk staggered back a bit, before regain his balance. "Woah! Hey, Ky!" He ruffled his fingers through her short green hair. "How are you?!"

She looked up at him and beamed. She had thought she would never get to see him again. "I'm fine," she replied, her voice perky and excited. She turned and went to give Lani a light hug. "I'm so glad you're here!"

As the others reached to where Kylin was, Tristan scowled. _He_ was here too?

Vector raised a brow. No one had the knowledge of the entrance to Ulara, except those who lived in it. "How did you two get here?"

"You know, the weirdest thing happened," The one eyed bandit said, as a-matter-of-factly. "Lani and I were trying to go through this shortcut I found, when we got all of a sudden we got lost."

"The dumb ass got us lost in a desert!" Lani snapped, interrupting him.

Crayk rolled his eyes, and then glared at his female companion. "Could let me finish? Anyway, there were, lost, out of water, battling creatures left and right, when suddenly this bright light engulfed us and BOOM!—we stumbled on this place." He turned to the silver haired woman who stood next to Lani. She was wearing a long sleeved pink ball gown, with a pink barrette holding her hair up. "If it hadn't been for her, we would've been decaying corpses in the desert."

The woman shook her head, embarrassed. "Oh, Cray Cray!" She turned to Vector and waved at him

"Ah, Vecty, dearest, I haven't seen you in such a long time." She went over and hugged her fellow Wingly. "After all these years the 'prodigal' one returns. Your travels went well, yes?"

"Yes, Charle. I have learned a lot."

"And here I feared that twenty years wouldn't be enough for you." She lightly hit his chest. Her large red eyes gazed over his shoulder. She gasped. "You even have a posse!"

"Posse?" Nayeli raised one of her eyebrows.

Charle gently moved him aside. "And _why_ haven't you introduced me to the daughter of Dartty?"

Vector cleared his throat. "Oh right. This is Riza."

The elderly Wingly moved closer to the girl, examining her. Riza stepped back a bit. "I am very disappointed that he didn't come to visit me, that father of yours. You look so much like him, though. The fierce look in your eyes, the high cheek bones." She touched the girl's cheeks. The thunder dragoon flushed slightly. No one had ever said that she looked so much like her father. She never really thought she looked like him. "And you also have that confident swagger; very much like Zieggy too!"

"'Zieggy'?" Riza repeated.

Charle gasped. "You don't know the name of your own grandfather?" She cleared her throat, and moved her arms in a dramatized way. "Zieggy, leader of the Dragoons, fought against my baby brother Melbu to free the humans from his ternary." She stopped, and let out a tired sigh. She touched her chest and gazed at the sky, like a young teenager thinking of her love. "Zieggy was an amazing fellow, a man after my own heart!"

"But I know you didn't come for a measly visit. You came for the dragoon spirit, is that correct?" Charle looked at the group of travelers in front of her. "However, before we get down to business, settle down, relax and have a look around. You must be tired and hungry." She turned to Lani. "Ni-ni, can you show our guests where the dining hall is?"

"Of course."

Crayk took Kylin's hand. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

"Says the man who probably has been here for only a few days…" Vector mumbled, before leaving with the others to get some food.

-----

"So did you ever find the owner of the dragoon spirit I gave you?" Crayk asked, as he and Kylin strolled through the streets of Ulara.

She nodded. "Uh huh. Her name is Nayeli."

"Ah the dark girl I saw, right?" Kylin nodded again, affirming his statement. "Well that's good. So how many more do you need?"

"Just one more, I think. The one here should be the last one. I wonder who…" She paused for a moment and looked down at her left arm. Her crimson armguard was pulsating. It was faint, but she could still feel it. It was as if it wanted to lead her somewhere. She turned. There! She broke out into a run.

"Kylin! Hey wait!"

She zoomed up the stairs and stood on one of the green teleporting devices. She found herself in a salmon colored room. Her armguard was pulsating harder now, as if she was closer to where she had to go. But what was she even looking for? What was she even doing?

Kylin walked around. She held her left arm in front of her and allowed it to lead her. She came to a door. She placed her hand on the cold knob. Open. She turned the knobbed and welcomed herself inside. The room was large, with gray colored walls. In the center of the room were seven stone statues of dragons.

She could hear Crayk's voice. He wasn't too far away. "Kylin! Where did you go?"

She ignored his call and stepped forward, allowing her curiosity to take over. She gazed at the structures before her. They looked like they could come alive at any second. It frightened her a bit. One dragon in particular caught her eye. She walked over to it and noticed a red object in its mouth. Her armguard had stopped pulsating.

"A dragoon spirit…" Kylin said quietly. She wanted to touch it. She reached her hand toward it, and then hesitated. She knew she shouldn't be here. She was about to turn away when her armguard began to act up again. She looked at the fire-colored orb in the dragon's mouth. It seemed as if it was calling her, telling her it was okay to take it. Again, she reached for it. The jaw of the statue became loose when she touched it, and the red ball fell into her hands. It began to resonate brightly. She gasped.

"Kylin! You're not supposed to be…" Crayk paused, looking at the sight. "Well whadaya know."

-----

"I guess the dragoon spirit had chosen its master. Welcome to the movement, dearest!" Charle said, enthusiastically, sitting on her large plush seat. Kylin looked at the ground, embarrassed. The elderly Wingly smiled. She seemed to have that effect on people.

Crayk and Kylin presented themselves to Charle and the others soon after the young elf found out she was a dragoon, much to everyone's surprise.

The elderly Wingly glanced at Kylin's arm. She put on her spectacles and squinted. Not satisfied she got out of her chair and lift up Kylin's left arm, examining the armguard. "Well would you look at that! Ah Cinder's scales! Who would've thought that it was made into an arm guard?"

"Cinder's scales?" Kylin asked.

Charle waved her hand. "Oh that was Zieggy's vassal dragon, very close those two. If Zieggy wasn't with Rosie, he was with Cinder. This thing must've led you to the room, yes?"

The half-elf nodded.

After hearing about the Wingly attack in Indels Castle and the nameless female Wingly, Charle suggested that it was only fitting that the dragoons went to Flanvel Tower to investigate. She glanced at Vector, who seemed to disapprove of the idea, but he remained silent. She then suggested that they stay for the night to revitalize themselves for the journey to Kashua Glacier.

-----

Vector walked around the garden. Stars began to fill the sky, and the others were asleep, but he wasn't tired. No, he didn't _want_ to sleep. The thought of having to go back to that place…

He sighed. He should just tell his comrades everything, but that would only complicate things. Besides it wasn't necessary anyway. He walked over to the stone bench and took a seat and closed his eyes.

"I thought I might find you here."

The voice caused him to jump a bit. Charle giggled and he relaxed. "Oh, it's just you."

The female Wingly took a seat next to him. Her red eyes scanned him. "Your thinking about it, aren't you?" Vector said nothing and gazed at the sky. "You fear that he might actually be alive after all these years. I understand. You can't help but feel contempt after all he did to you and your mother." She looked at Vector.

"She would've been proud of you, if she could see you now, Vecty."

"I know…" he replied, gazing at the floor. "I know."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"There is something important I would like to ask you Charle." He said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Uh oh," the older Wingly teased. "Should I be afraid?"

"That depends…" Vector trailed off. "Charle, something has been plaguing my mind lately…the Moon Child. What was her _name_? You know, the one Rose didn't kill?"

"Her name?" Charle looked at Vector for a moment, confused by his request. "Why do you ask?"

There was no point beating around the bush. "It happened after we rescued Riza in Dalio a few days ago. While we were there, we met a Virage that had awoken from its slumber. I thought that maybe it awoke because of the rancor for the dragoons but…"

Vector paused. How should he put it? "She emitted a strange blue light that killed it instantly and according to the villagers it was that same light that had revived the Virage in the first place. But I just don't understand how she got this power. Virages only listen to the call of the Moon Child. I thought that maybe finding out who the last Moon Child was would help me. Though, I'm not quite sure how…"

He let out a much need sigh. He gazed at his feet. "I don't know Charle. It was just so…bizarre!" He couldn't find a better word to describe what happened. He wondered if she could sense his frustration.

Charle got up and walked toward her plants. She was silent for a while, caressing the broad leaves of a banana plant. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but it was long and Vector couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Shana," she said abruptly.

Vector looked up, caught off guard. "Huh?"

"The Moon Child's name is Shana Feld."

"Feld…?" Why did that name sound so familiar? Where had he heard it from? Zieg? No, that wasn't it. He had heard it later on, more recently…

_He turned to the young girl. "But I don't even know your name Miss…"_

"_Riza. Riza Feld."_

Vector raised his brows. "Isn't that _Riza's_ surname?"

Charle nodded. "Shana is Riza's mother." She walked over to Vector and took a seat next to him.

"But her mother isn't alive anymore…" He mused remembering Riza's somber statement to the head of the Eighth Knighthood. He lowered his head, hypothesizing—trying to piece things together. "Can Riza actually be the Moon Child?"

The female Wingly shrugged. "That I cannot tell you."

Even with the information he had just acquired from Charle, nothing seemed to be clear to him. It just added more confusion. "But…the soul can't be passed down from mother to child. It isn't some trait. It's a living thing! No, there is something more to this…there has to be!"

Vector rose from the stone bench. "I'm going to do some research at the explosion site at daybreak. If the others happen to be up, please tell them I have business to tend to and I'll be back shortly."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Kylin is the fire dragoon, now we have all them. Again, sorry for the late update (like almost a month wait!). Got inspired after reading **foxthefox's** fanfiction and how he gave up studying to post. It was heartwarming. lol So, I updated. I kind of wanted to get this chapter over with to get to the real juicy Chapter 17. R&R and I will not disappoint. At least I'll try not to. I'll try to post the next chapter this week.


	17. Moon Child

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own LOD, Sony does. So please don't sue me. I don't have any money anyway. :P

**Author's Note**: See, I told you I was detouring to this chapter, that's why it is up so quickly. This is to make up for the late Chapter 16. On with the chapter!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 17**

_The town was ablaze. People were running, screaming, trying to escape its wrath…its fury. But no one escaped. Nothing could stop it. _

"_It is looking for the young princess. We will protect the princess with our lives!"_

_**No, you can't fight that thing. Run! Run away!**_

_The __cradle rocked back and forth. Inside it was a baby girl, with large chestnut eyes and curly brown hair.__ The child cooed, unaware of the tragedy that was to befall her. The knights yelped in pain, as one by one they fell.__ The sound of the screams made the baby cry. _

_**Princess, you must live, you must!**_

_She stretched her arms upward in hopes for someone to pick her up, in hopes to be comforted._

"_No, stay away! Stay away from the Princess…Agh!" Warm blood splattered on the child's white dress._

_**No, not again…**_

_She was greeted by a dark figure with large black wings. It had no face, but extended its sword at the child._

_**Stop!!!**_

"_Die!" was all it said._

Riza's eyes shot open, and she rose from her reclined state. She was shaking and breathing heavily and sweat soaked her garments. She clutched her dragoon spirit that hung around her neck tightly. It was that dream again; the same dream she had in Dalio. She couldn't help but think that the dreams brought bad omens. The last time she had this dream, she heard the voice of the Virage. Its cries and its need for her…but what did it want from her? What did it expect her to do? Did it have something to do with that creature?

_The Virage is dead_, she thought, trying to reassure herself. Oh, it was dead alright. _She_ killed it, with the light that had awoken it in the first place. She thought of that voice. It was a soft voice, almost motherly. It spoke to her when she was drowning and when the Virage awoke and when it died. What did it keep saying? _**My body…**_ Yes, that was it! It kept referring to its body. What did it mean? And it kept calling the Virage its 'child'. When Tristan and Vector attacked the Virage, she could hear the cries that no one else could. For some reason it hurt her to hear it cry, so much so that she wanted to try to protect it. But she fought the urge. She had to help her friends and save the town. But still, it was like hearing the weeping of a woman who had just lost her child. It was so sad…

She couldn't help but think that something terrible like that was going to happen again. Perhaps Vector could help her? What did he find out? No, she was still a little upset with him after the incident at the library. But maybe he could help her understand who or _what_ she was…

Riza sighed. She didn't want to think about this anymore. She had been thinking about these things too much now. No, there were other things to worry about, like their mission. Now that they have all seven of the dragoon spirits, what were they supposed to do? Were they to wait for another attack from the Wingly woman? They seemed to be going nowhere with this mission. They had no reliable leads!

She looked out the window. It was still dark out; maybe she could take a stroll. She got out of the bed, and changed, putting on a cotton robe that was in her room, and teleported outside. Riza walked barefoot, looking at the different plants that her hostess grew. They were so exotic, like nothing she had ever seen before. As she went closer to the plants she heard voices in the distance. She edged a bit further, but decided to keep herself hidden. She peered through the leaves and saw Vector talking to Charle. What were they doing up so late in the evening? Then again, she was one to talk.

"Shana."

Riza's ears perked up.

"Huh?"

"The Moon Child's name is Shana Feld."

Shana Feld was her mother's name. What did she have to do with any of this? Wait? Did Charle say 'Moon Child'?

"Feld…? But… isn't that _Riza's_ surname?" She heard Vector ask.

"Shana is Riza's mother." She heard Charle confirm.

Why were they talking about her mother?

"But her mother isn't alive anymore…" Vector fell silent for a moment. "Can Riza actually be the Moon Child?"

Riza's eyes widened.

"That I cannot tell you."

There was another pause. "But…the soul of the god of destruction can't be passed down from mother to child. It isn't some trait. It's a living thing…"

She didn't hear the rest of what Vector had said. Riza ran back to her room and shut the door. She let herself fall onto the ruffled sheets on the bed, flabbergasted by what she had just heard. Her heart was racing. Her hands were shaking. What she had just over heard began to sink in.

_My mother was the __**Moon **__**Child**__?_

Her mind went back to the day King Albert explained to them the story of the dragoons and the Dragon Campaigns.

"…_On attacking Melbu Frahma, they destroyed the crystal sphere that held the soul of the Virage Embryo, allowing it to roam free. The soul would then possess a human in hopes that it could go to its body, the Moon that Never Sets. The body that the soul possessed was known as the Moon Child."_

She remembered he had looked at her for a brief moment. At first, she thought it was a gesture of proper manners, to look at the people you were talking to. But now that she thought about it, perhaps he was debating whether or not if he should tell her the truth. The truth that her mother the soul of the god of destruction, the Moon Child. His voice echoed in her ears…

"_But before that could ever happen, one of the former dragoons would kill the Moon Child, so that it couldn't destroy the world. This occurred every 108 years when the transmigration of the soul transpired, and the moon would glow red. Every time the Moon Child was born, the dragoon, known to many as the Black Monster would kill it along with those who had seen the child. About 35 years ago, the Moon Child was born again, however, the Black Monster made the mistake in killing the wrong child, allowing the soul of the Virage Embryo to live peacefully for 18 years."_

She thought of her dream. That black creature, the monster that had tried to kill 'her', could it have been a dragoon? And the baby she dreamed of, which for the moment in the dream was her…was she the wrong child? Or perhaps…past encounters with the Black Monster? Was someone or something showing her what could've happened to her mother? Or to her?

She noticed her pillow at the corner of her eye. She grabbed for it and pressed it against her chest. She had hoped that holding the soft cushion would alleviate some of the fear, anxiety…or everything from her. But it didn't.

She wished someone would just hold her and tell her that everything was okay, like her mother used to do at night, because she was afraid of the dark. Motherly voice…this whole time…that voice in her mind that yearned for its body was the god of destruction? No, it couldn't be. It just couldn't!

She wondered if her father knew anything about this. He must've known; it had to do with his wife after all. Still, why didn't he tell her? Why?!

Riza cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The sun had barely risen above the horizon when Vector left. He wanted to leave early so he would be able to arrive before any of the others awoke. He had hoped that he would be able to find clues that would provide answers to his questions. He flew for twenty minutes, following the directions that Charle had given him. He soon saw the indent on the ground a mile ahead, and he decided to fly lower for the rest of the trip.

Vector landed on the ground and walked to the site. The explosion had formed a huge crater in the sand. He flew down into the hole and looked around. He wasn't quite sure what exactly he was looking for, but anything would be a clue. His eyes caught a glint of something in the sand. He bent down, pushing the particles away. It was a round fragment and mousy colored with several blue filaments attached to it. Vector picked it up, inspecting it. It was most likely a fragment from the Moon That Never Sets. Perhaps this could help him figure out if Riza was indeed the Moon Child or not.

He placed his finding into his pocket and flew back to Ulara.

* * *

Her eyes were red, and her head was pounding. She felt sick to her stomach. She didn't want to get out of bed. She cringed when she heard Tristan call her name.

"Riza? Hey, you up yet?!"

Riza got up and changed her clothes. She teleported outside where she saw Tristan standing.

"You don't look like you got a lot of sleep last night." Tristan commented, noticing her puffy red eyes. She grunted. He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but decided against it. Nowadays it was something he asked her all the time. She would seem dazed or tired or frustrated. Something was on her mind and it annoyed him that she wasn't spilling anything. She always did. When did she become so covert?

After having breakfast, they walked to the entrance of Ulara, to depart to Kashua Glacier. Crayk and Lani decided to stay in Ulara, much to Kylin dismay.

Riza glanced at Vector, who was talking to Derrick. He didn't seem to know that she had overheard the conversation between him and Charle. She would confront him about it later.

The dragoons were transported outside to the Death Frontier. Instead of immediately flying over to Kashua Glacier, Vector proposed that they walk a bit. He seemed like he wanted to delay their arrival to the frigid place, Riza noticed. Tristan groaned, but as usual, they ignored his cries.

Riza sauntered next to Tristan. Her head was down and she was silent for the trip. The darkness dragoon, annoyed, pulled her to the back of the group to talk to her.

"Yo, what's the matter? You've been acting very strange lately." His emerald orbs were filled with concern. She said nothing. "Come on, just tell me. Riza!"

She looked up at him. "Do you remember what Albert said about the Moon Child?"

He was taken aback by her question. "Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"

"A lot," she blurted. "Do you know who the last Moon Child was?"

The others stopped and tunred to see what was going on.

"No…"

Her eyes met Vector's "You don't, huh? Why don't you ask him?" She pointed an accusing finger at him. "I heard everything, Vector!"

Riza briskly walked to the surprised Wingly. Did he really think she could hide this from her? "Is it true then?" she asked. "Is it true that my mother was really the Moon Child?!"

"Woah, woah! Why are we fighting here?" Kish asked, getting between the two of them. He turned to Riza. "And what is with this 'Moon Child' business?"

"Soul of the Virage Embryo, the god of destruction, transmigrates every 108 years into the body of a human child in hopes to rejoin with the body that was separated from it so it can complete its task and destroy this world." Vector said, sternly. "The Moon Child is the human that the soul possesses." He sighed as the others stared at him in shock. He looked up at Riza who eyes were narrowed. Still she had to know the truth. "It's true; your mother was the last Moon Child, the one that the former Darkness Dragoon, Rose mistakenly allowed to live…."

Did she just here him correctly? "'**Mistakenly** allowed to live'?! How dare you…!" Riza fumed, punching the Wingly in the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

"I understand that you are enraged with my choice of words, but it was the truth, at the time anyway." Vector wiped the blood from his nose.

But, Riza wasn't done with him. No, punching him once had not sufficed her. Grabbing him by the collar, she shoved Vector into a nearby tree.

"Riza, that's _enough_!" Derrick ordered. However his words were ignored.

She was breathing heavily and her eyes were flared in anger and she punched him repeatedly in the gut. She finally stopped and stared stonily into his eyes. How dare he say that about her mother!

Vector, understanding her resentment, allowed her to vent out, shaking his head when the others tried to get her off of him. The girl was strong, but not strong enough to critically harm him, so he wasn't worried. He could sense the hate in each punch, but he wasn't done talking.

"You are getting emotional because it concerns your own mother and that is understandable. However the circumstances at the time were very serious! If the soul joined with its body, the results would be catastrophic. You, I or anyone else for that matter, would cease to exist. It was the Rose's _duty_ to kill the Moon Child every time it was reborn…"

Vector gasped when he noticed a blue glint in her eyes. It disappeared for a moment, and then came back. Instead of looking into Riza's chestnut colored eyes, he was staring into ice blue ones. Her grip on him tightened, and she seemed to be a little stronger. Vector tried move within her grasps, but he couldn't. He noticed her lips curl into a sinister smile, so unlike the face of the girl he saw a moment ago. He looked into the cerulean eyes before him. That color was so familiar…

"Kill me?" Riza laughed. "She could never have killed me. She only delayed the inevitable fate of the Creator!"

Vector's eyes widened. "Are you…the soul…?" he muttered.

She didn't answer him. Instead, she posed his question with one of her own.

"Where is it?" Her voice was different now, authoritative and sonorous. One of her hands moved from Vector's shirt collar to his neck and began to squeeze hard. "I know you have it, Wingly!"

"I don't know…what…"

"WHERE IS MY BODY!" she barked, squeezing his neck tighter. "I can faintly sense its presence on you!" With one hand she elevated him as he squirmed in her grasps.

Her grip on him was strong, too strong, for it to be Riza. It had to be the soul, Vector concluded. He could feel power build up inside of him. He wanted to blow her away. He was tempted to cast the spell, but he feared hurting the true owner of the body that held him captive.

"Woah!" Tristan said, grabbing the girl's shoulder. "Calm down! What do you think you're doi…" She shot him an icy glare, which caused Tristan to shiver a bit. He hated to admit it, but a part of him was timorous of her. "Riza…?"

"I am not talking to _you,_ human!" She snapped. Her eyes reverted back to Vector. "Where is it, Wingly? Your people have taken my body once before and I will not let you do it aga…" She ducked to avoid a punch from Nayeli, dropping her hostage in the process. The Wingly gasped for air.

Nayeli flipped over Riza, trying to get her from the back, but again the girl dodged the attack.

"I don't know who or what you are, but you are definitely _not_ Riza!"

Again, the half-Giganto threw another punch at 'Riza'. This time, the blue eyed girl caught the fist and began to slowly crush bone. Nayeli began to kneel under pressure. She used her free left arm to try to hit Riza, but that hand was also caught. Nayeli screamed as blood began to trickle.

"Foolish Giganto…" A small smile formed on her face, but it quickly disappeared when an arrow went straight through her forearm. Her head shot up. Another arrow shot at her, but she used Nayeli as a shield and it hit her shoulder. She dropped the battered female and turned to the others. These inferior species were getting on her nerves.

"Once I find my body I'll destroy every last one of you!" She charged at Kish who shot another arrow at her. In a swift movement, she unsheathed one of her swords and deflected it with the crossguard. She jumped into the air and landed on his chest—hard. He made a low grunt, and she heard a crack. One down. She quickly moved to the lance wielder, who was standing next to the small elf. They were both in dragoon armor. She scoffed.

Derrick knew he had to act fast. His spirit points weren't very high, and his armor could disappear at any second. He dove in, parrying a swing from her sword and tried to strike her with his spear, but she blocked it with her second sword.

"Riza, stop this!" Derrick grunted, pushing his spear closer to her. He flew away from her and Kylin came in for an attack.

"Please Riza!" the half-elf pleaded. Riza was the one who had helped her from her former master and convinced the others to allow her to come along on the journey. Kylin didn't want to hurt her friend.

She threw her giant shield at Riza, who caught the weapon and threw it right back at Kylin. The impact of the enhanced shield to her gut caused Kylin to fall to the ground, unconscious in her normal form.

The blonde knight flew toward Riza again. He didn't want to use magic because it would kill her, so he continued assailing with his spear. She handspring and caught the spear between her legs. Her feet twirled, flinging the lance onto the sand. Derrick flew to reach his weapon when his armor faded and he plummeted to the ground. He coughed the sand out of his mouth and shook his head. He glanced up, noticing a shadow above him. He tried to get up, but Riza had placed her foot on top of his neck.

She took one of her butterfly swords and placed it above her head. Her lips were curved into a malicious smile.

"Die!"

There was a loud _CLUNK_ sound and she fell to the ground, unconscious. Tristan had knocked her on the side of the head with Kylin's shield. He sighed in relief and helped Derrick up. He looked at Riza and cursed.

"Tut!"

------

"How do your hands feel now?" Kish asked, as he put away his dragoon spirit. Nayeli opened and closed them a few times. They felt a little sore, but she knew that her bones weren't broken anymore.

"They're much better now." She turned to her husband. "How 'bout you?"

"I'll live." Kish eyed the bandage around her shoulder. He put his head down, ashamed. "I'm sorry for hitting you with my arrow."

His wife waved her hand. "Don't dwell on it. It wasn't your fault."

The dragoons had gone to a nearby oasis to recuperate after their battle. They had taken some damage, but it wasn't too bad. Riza lay on the sand, tied up, and still unconscious. Tristan walked over and knelt beside her. He was the only one who dared to go near her, even if she was in a comatose like state. He turned to Vector, who was sitting by the oasis, deep in thought.

"What the hell happened to her?!" he demanded. One second Riza was fuming at Vector and the next thing Tristan knew was that she was fighting everyone with incredible strength and speed. Vector knew something!

The Wingly looked up, hearing the question. He was a good distance away from Riza, and that was the way he wanted it. He didn't want another brawl.

"It appears that the Soul of the Virage Embryo had awoken inside of her because of this." He retrieved a small fragment from his pocket and showed it to the others.

Tristan walked towards him, trying to see what he was holding. He raised his brow.

Kylin peered at the morsel in Vector's fingers. It was round and mousy colored with several blue filaments attached to it. "A pebble? She went berserk 'cause of this little thing?"

Vector shook his head. "This isn't your ordinary pebble Kylin. It is a fragment of the Moon that Never Sets, or the body of the Virage Embryo. Earlier this morning I had come across this while I was doing some research at the site of the explosion that was caused during the last Dragon Campaign. So I decided to take it with me."

"You idiot! You could've got us all killed!" Nayeli snapped.

"True. I had no idea this would happen." Vector replied apologetically. "However, it did confirm my theory that Riza is indeed the Moon Child. These past events have proven it."

Derrick ears perked. "What 'past events'?"

Vector eyes found Tristan's, who averted his eyes to the ground. Derrick, following the Wingly's gaze, looked at him as well.

"Tristan…?" The knight questioned.

The Black Buster dragoon glared at Vector, annoyed that he was now the center of attention. He sighed. "When we went to rescue Riza, Vector and I encountered a creature called the Visage or whatever. We fought it, but apparently it wasn't dead." He paused for a minute, not wanting to finish the rest, but Derrick's gazed told him to continue. He sighed. "Riza emitted this strange blue light that disintegrated its body, thus killing it."

"It's a _Virage_," Vector corrected him. "The natives of the town also claimed that it was the same light that had awoken the Virage in the first place."

Derrick turned to Tristan. "Why didn't you inform me of any of this?" The black haired boy said nothing.

"Better yet, why didn't _you_ tell anyone 'orator'?" Nayeli asked, pointing at Vector.

"I had promised Riza I wouldn't discuss this until we completed our mission. And I agreed. However, now the circumstances have changed. In any case, we have to figure out what we are going to do when Riza actually comes to."

"How will we know if it is _Riza _that will actually wake up?" Kish asked, seriously. He glanced at the girl on the floor. "We can't be caught off guard if she doesn't wake up as herself."

"That's true," Vector mused. "I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"She's waking up!" Kylin shrieked, when she saw the girl move, and went behind Derrick. She didn't want to be around Riza if she went berserk again!

Riza moaned and her eyes began to open. Her head was pounding! Agh, why did it hurt so much? When she tried to move she noticed that she was bound with ropes. What was going on?

Tristan ran to her side immediately, but began to move cautiously as he drew closer to her. He was relieved when he saw Riza's large brown eyes instead of the cerulean ones he saw before. He knelt beside her and helped her sit up. He saw the look of confusion on her face, and gave her a weak smile. From her expression, it seemed that she didn't know what had occurred.

"What happened? And why am I tied up like this?" She looked up at Tristan, who only turned away. She then turned to the others. Kylin looked to be hiding behind Derrick by the oasis. Vector was far off in the distance; Kish put his head down and Nayeli only stared at her with contempt.

The half Giganto got up and walked over to her. "What happened? I'll tell you what happened!"

"Nayeli, stop it! She just woke up!" Tristan warned. He didn't want Riza to know; at least not yet anyway.

"Oh, be quiet!" That boy intimidated her as much as a housefly did. "She's a woman not a _child_! Stop babying her because you want to 'spare her' grief!" Nayeli snapped. She turned to Riza. "You want to know what _happened_? Well, let's see…you had almost choked Vector to death, crushed my hands, broke Kish's ribs, knocked the wind out of Kylin and nearly decapitated Derrick. If Tristan hadn't knocked you upside your head, we would all be dead by now!"

Riza's eyes widened. "Is this true?" Tristan slowly nodded. Why couldn't she remember it? The last thing she remembered was punching Vector in the stomach. He had said something, and then it was blank after that. "Why…?" Tears began to stream down her face.

"You said you wanted your body or whatever," Nayeli replied, answering her question. She knew that Riza, must've been having some internal battle, but she didn't want the girl to be ignorant of what happened.

The thunder dragoon's head shot up. "My…body…" She began to shake. No, this couldn't be happening. It was just like when she was in the water, in Dalio and now here? Not only that, but now she attacked her friends! "So…I really am the Moon Child, aren't I?"

"You most certainly are!" A female voice said from above.

The dragoons looked up to see a levitating silver haired woman. Her hair was in one long braid and she brandished a thin sword.

"You!" Tristan growled.

"Make this easy and hand over the Moon Child or…" Two other Winglies appeared beside her. "We'll just have to take her by force."

**

* * *

****Author's Note:** Wow, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. Also I found a flaw with my story. I just realized that Lloyd killed the Younger Bardel brother when he was trying to hurt Wink. So for the story sake, I'm just going to say that he was mortally wounded, but recovered. Anyway let's see what will happen in the next chapter R&R. I'll update as soon as I can, probably in early July cuz I have a test this week and finals the next. Agh, I'm so tired. *_* I can't wait until this summer session is over and I can write all the time.


	18. Kidnapped

**Disclaimer**: I don't own LOD. It isn't mine. This life I have isn't even mine, so yeah…

**Author's Note**: Lots of fighting in this chapter! Read and find out!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 18**

Tristan stared at the levitated female Wingly. He may have allowed her to get away before, but he wouldn't let it happen again. A blanket of darkness engulfed him and a bright light shown. He immediately took flight and went after her.

"I'm not done with you!" he roared, brandishing his rapier. He tried to hit her, but she easily parried the attack. She smirked.

"You are just too slow human," she taunted. She watched as her other companions began to move away from her.

Tristan growled. He flew higher to the sky and faced the female Wingly.

"Astral Drain!"

He threw his sword at her. The weapon stopped short of her face, much to her relief. When she tried to move, however, she was paralyzed. A ray of black energy struck into her. She screamed as she saw purple and black ooze flow from out of her into the sword. She could feel her energy slowly draining. A ray of blue light hit the dragoon and he smiled. The sword retracted and flew into his hands.

The woman gasped, and touched her chest. She glared at the dragoon. Her mind raced, thinking of things that she would do to him. Behead him. Castrate him. No, she had to focus on her mission. She turned to one of her companions who was nearby. "Laius, get the girl!"

"To hell you will!" Tristan flew toward the male Wingly, but the woman cast a light-based spell from behind.

"I am your opponent. Don't be so eager to run away."

Tristan turned to face her. He noticed that Derrick was coming from behind her. He was going to buy him some time. He began to channel his energy into his rapier. Black ooze flew from the tip of the sword and circled around the female Wingly, turning into a purple fog.

"Trepidation!"

A bright light blinded him for a moment. When he looked again he saw her standing there, unfazed.

"You think that pathetic fear spell would affect me?" she asked. Her voice hinted that she had been slightly insulted. When the dragoon only shrugged, she knew that something was wrong. She turned around and her head collided with the butt of a large lance. She faltered a bit, and was about to attack when someone held her from behind. She tried to squirm free, but he wouldn't release his hold.

"You are going to tell us what you want with Riza!" Derrick demanded, yelling in her ear.

"Let go of me!"

Resistance—that worked for Tristan. He punched the woman multiple times in her abdomen.

Blood started to fill her mouth and it spilled over and flowed down her chin. She just had to wait for an opening. When he stopped, she found her chance. She clasped his head between her legs, and with her right foot hit him across the face. The dragoon behind loosed his grip and she escaped from under him. As she flew away, the dragoons were still following her.

She needed help. Fast!

-----

The Wingly, Laius, dived in toward Riza, but the young girl hobbled out of the way. She was still bound by the ropes that her friends used on her. She cursed when the Wingly came after her again. Kish, in dragoon armor, rushed in and grabbed her.

"Thanks…" she said weakly.

Kish quickly took one of his arrows and cut the rope. "Just make sure you stay away from Vector." He placed her on the ground and flew off.

Riza faced the Wingly that tried to capture her. With her dragoon spirit charged with Spirit Points, she transformed. She withdrew her enhanced swords and ran towards him. Metal blades clashed. Riza gnashed her teeth as she tried to lean in and overpower her opponent. However, with one of his free hands he cast a Burn Out that caused Riza to stumble a bit. He sneered at her.

"Don't make it harder than it has to be Moon Child," he said.

Riza kicked him in the gut and charged for him again, but the blade of his scythe protected him. He took to the sky to gain altitude. Riza followed him, but he disappeared, hidden in the clouds. She tried to listen carefully for any movement that she could hear.

"Over here!"

She slashed a cloud to her right. The mass of wet particles separated, but all she saw were more clouds. _Nothing_.

"You missed. Try again." The Wingly taunted. His voice resonated around her.

She growled. Her eyes were moving left and right. She saw a flicker of movement up ahead and she flew toward it. She sliced through the clouds. Again, there was nothing. Where was he?

Laius grabbed her from behind, putting his hands under her armpits and holding her. "Got you!"

Her eyes began to turn magenta. The clouds began to turn gray and the booming sound of thunder could be heard. Her captive let go of her and began to look around. Riza smirked.

"Negative Discharge!"

A family of lightning bolts emerged from the cloud above and electrocuted him, each bolt stronger and bigger than the last one. As Wingly rocketed headfirst to the ground, Riza's began to throw pellets of electricity at him.

Laius flew, trying to dodge the electric balls. However, one of them landed on his shoulder. He hissed, grabbing his injured arm. His eyes narrowed. The thunder element had no opposite elemental weakness, which made it harder to hurt her with magic. He would just have to attack her with everything he had. He moved his arms in circular pattern. A large boulder fell from the sky and hit the girl in the ribs. She plummeted to the ground.

Riza moaned as she tried to move the large rock off of her. The Wingly walked over to her and smiled. He had her!

A loud yell caught his attention "Hmm…?" He turned his head.

"FINAL BURST!"

A large ball of fire flew past him. He hissed when a young girl dressed in red armor pull down her wings and allowed the flames to spread all over him. He was on fire! He tried to take flight, but a large shield collided with his head, and he fell to the ground.

Kylin flew next to Riza and helped her remove the boulder from her ribs. She clutched her ribs. A few were probably broken.

"Thanks," she said. She eyed the Wingly on the ground near her. Taking one of her swords, she stabbed him in the chest.

-----

The male Wingy, Lenox, noticed that his other companions were occupied. He had to take care of three. From what he could see one was a Wingly, another was a female Giganto and the last was a human. He licked the top of his lip. His clawed arm guard ached to be drenched with blood, human blood. He would kill them, every last one of them. It was what they deserved after what they did to his innocent, beloved baby sister.

He charged forward. He would first get rid of the Wingly; he was the worst for siding with the humans. Lenox tackled his opponent to the ground. He sneered, pressing his claw closer to the young male's face. An arrow hit his back and he turned around to see the male human, aiming another arrow at him. The female Giganto ran towards him and punched him square in the face. Lenox stumbled back. He examined each of his opponents. The female, being a Giganto, would be the most vulnerable to magic and had to be of the earth element. He zoomed towards her and began to move his hands. A gust of wind formed from his hand and shot at her. She screamed as the gale collided with her body and flew into one of the large rocks, breaking it. The human, dressed in white armor, raced over to aid the fallen women.

_What weaklings,_ Lenox thought. He would finish them quickly. Again, he started to move his hands in a circular motion, ready to cast a spell, but the other Wingly beat him to it. A blanket of frost surrounded him, covering him head to toe. It expanded, then shattered. The prickly shards came in contact with his skin, causing him to bleed. He shivered and wiped the blood from his bottom lip. He was shocked. This Wingly didn't use the movement of his arms to use magic! Only high rank magicians could do that!

"I must admit, you're pretty strong," Lenox said. "What are you doing with these humans anyway? You would do well in Faust's army."

Vector's eyes flared. "Shut up!" A fog of ice particles enveloped him and he busted in dragoon form. He's a dragoon; he would _never_ become part of that bastard's army! He closed his eyes, feeling the dragon's power within him. He stuck his katana into the sandy ground and levitated above it. He eyed the Wingly before him and began to move his arms. As he separated his hands large glaciers surrounded his enemy. Finally he clapped his hands together and the large bodies of ice converged.

"Diamond Dust!

The ice broke into many small brittle pieces. Vector breathed heavily. This particular attack took a lot more out of him than the others did, since it required more energy. His eyes widened however when he noticed that the Wingly stood, unharmed. The ground around him was burned.

"You are strong, but very stupid." Lenox said with a smirk on his face. "Water element can be easily blocked by one of fire base." From the corner of his eye, he saw Lohita flying towards him with two dragoons hot on her tail. Her red eyes suggested that she needed some help. He sighed. That woman was so weak. He turned to Vector. "I'll deal with you later." And he went to aid his female companion.

-----

Tristan was closing in on her. He stretched out his hand and grabbed one of her feet. He smirked when he saw the astonished look on her face. He had got her now.

"Lenox!" the female shouted.

A narrow beam of light shot down from the sky hitting his hand. Tristan cursed, letting go of his hostage. Another Wingly, who he assumed to be Lenox, appeared before him. He was tall with his silver hair high ponytail and wore the same gray and green armor that woman had. Yet for some reason it seemed more familiar now that the male was dressed in it. The Wingly turned to the woman, who nodded and flew into the clouds. Derrick went after her. Tristan was about to follow when the Wingly stopped him.

"I am your opponent now," Lenox said with a wide smirk on his face. He left no room for hesitation and attacked Tristan with his clawed arm guard. The darkness dragoon parried the attack with his rapier, but grunted as the Wingly leaned in closer to him. They separated. The dragoon before him was glaring at him with green narrowed eyes. Lenox should be the one who should be angry! "You humans will pay for what you did to my sister!" Again he came in for the attack, but Tristan quickly moved out of the way and flew behind him. He raised his rapier and cut one of the Wingly's arms off.

Lenox howled in pain as he watched his left arm fall onto the sand. A fountain the blood began to flow. The human would pay! With his sole hand cast the strongest light based spell he knew.

A dark cloud hovered above him. Tristan looked up. A red ray of light hit him on the back. He turned around, about to attack the Wingly when a yellow ray hit him on the side. Then another hit him. And another. He looked like a fish on dry land as numerous beams of colorful light hit him. Left. Right. Above. Below. Left. Right. Then finally hitting him in the chest, Tristan flew backwards and hit the sandy ground. His face hurt. One of his eyes couldn't open and his other was full of blood. He cursed. He had to act fast. He was about to use some magic to heal himself, when the Wingly grabbed him by the neck.

Lenox smirked as he gazed at the face of the battered up human before him. The human tried to gasp for air, but he squeezed harder. He levitated into the air, going higher and higher. This was the perfect death for this human. "Your life is insignificant." His voice was monotone and emotionless. He raised his claw "Die!"

Tristan's green eyes widened. _That face!_ Flashes of memories began to bombard his mind.

_They were greeted by a man in armor with silver hair that was in a high ponytail. His face was pale and finely chiseled. A long pointed nose protruded from the center of his visage. The young boy noticed something on the man's back, but he didn't know what it was. His father stopped in his tracks and put his son to the ground, pushing the boy behind him._

"_What do you want? What business do you Winglies have in our village?" the hefty man demanded._

"_We have come for the Dragoon Spirit. We were informed that one was seen in this village. We have come to retrieve it." The silver haired man's voice sounded so emotionless and his red eyes were piecing. They looked liked the color of blood. It made the boy shiver and clutch his orb tighter._

"_Dragoon what? What on earth are you talking about?"__ he heard his father ask._

_The man in the armor seemed unfazed by the question. "If you don't know the location, then your life is insignificant."_

He could never forget a face like that! "YOU!"

A whirlwind of ice collided with Lenox and he fell to the ground. Tristan turned to see Vector flying towards him.

"Are you alright?" Vector asked.

Tristan glared at him. "Stay out of my way! That one is _**mine**_!" With that said he zoomed down after the fallen Wingly.

-----

Lohita flew across the sky looking for the Moon Child. She turned to see three dragoons following her: wind, light and earth. Great, exactly what she needed! She had to find Laius. He was with the Moon Child last. She scanned the clouds. She couldn't find him. An arrow hit her shoulder. She hissed and flew closer to the ground. It was then that she saw the girl with another dragoon beside her. Lohita tried to close in on her and noticed a figure of a person on the ground next to them. She cursed.

_They killed Laius._

She didn't want his fate to be her own. She would just grab the girl and go. She tackled the girl to the ground and they skidded in the sand.

"Get off of me!" Riza shouted.

Before the girl could retaliate, Lohita pulled out a crystal from her pocket and placed it in front of her. "You remember this don't you?"

The sharp pain in her head that she had from all those weeks ago was back. Riza pushed the Wingly woman off of her. She tried to get up, but she lost her balance and fell back to the ground. She clutched her pounding head and her armor began to phase in and out until she was in human form.

_Make it stop!_

"AGGHHHHHHHH!!"

Lohita smirked. She noticed the other dragoons were heading towards her. She quickly hit the girl with the butt of her sword, knocking her unconscious. She then scooped the girl into her arms and took flight. She scanned the ground and found Lenox fighting off two dragoons. They didn't have time for this!

"Lenox, we have the girl. Let's go!"

Understanding, the male Wingly joined his companion in the air. He looked around. "Where's Laius?!

Lohita motioned her head to the cadaver that lay on the ground. His eyes widened.

"You bastards!" he screamed when he saw his fallen brother. First his sister and now… Rage filled him, and he zoomed past the dragoons and grabbed his brother with his one hand. They would pay! He was going to kill them! Every last one of them!

"Let Riza go!" Lohita heard the dragoon in dark purple armor scream. She really hated that one in particular. Her chance to kill him would come. "Lenox!" she screamed dodging multiple attacks. She would leave, with or without him.

With his brother under his arm, Lenox quickly flew to Lohita. They were high in the air now, probably about a few hundred feet above the dragoons. His eyes narrowed. "You will pay for what you did today. If ever you want to see your little friend _alive_, then come to Flanvel Tower. We will be waiting."

There was a flash of light and then they vanished.

Tristan stared at the place where the Winglies had stood in disbelief. It was him! He was the one killed his family, destroyed his home and now he had Riza. He would not let them get away! He was about to fly away when Derrick flew in front of him.

"Get out of my way!" Tristan roared. "I'm going to kill that—"

"You of all people are in no condition to fight!" Derrick snapped. "We need to recuperate and plan out what we are going to do!"

"Fine! Do what you want! I'm _going_." He was about to fly away when he started to feel the dragon's power within him start to fade. Damn! Now of all times! He flew to the ground and briskly walked to the closest enemy he could find. He would get enough Spirit Points and go to this Flanvel Tower, save Riza, kill that bastard and…

He dropped to the ground. Nayeli cracked her knuckles. Normally she wasn't a fan of knocking out people by hitting them in the back of the neck. If she had done it too strong, she could've killed him. But she didn't. She stood over him and shook her head.

"It's for your own good." She threw the boy over her shoulder. She turned to Derrick and nodded.

"We'll go back to Ulara, get our rest and go to this Flanvel Tower when we are strong enough."

"But what about Riza?" Kylin asked. "They might kill her if we wait too long!"

"I doubt they will kill her," Kish injected. "If they were after her in the first place, they have to need her for something."

"Come on, let's go." Derrick ordered and the others flew off.

Kylin was about to follow them, when she noticed that Vector was still staring at the place where the Winglies escaped. She flew towards him. His red eyes looked cold and distant. "Come on Vector," she said cautiously. "We have to go." He turned his head suddenly, as if noticing her presence for the first time, and nodded, following her to Ulara

-----

"WE HAVE TO GO AFTER HER…OW!" Tristan pulled away his face away from Kish as he applied ointment on his wounds.

They had arrived to Ulara and placed Tristan in one of the rooms so he could get his rest. However, within ten minutes the boy was up and willing to fight. Derrick would have none of it, and Kish offered to help treat his injuries. With his dragoon spirit, Kish had healed all Tristan's fractures and torn ligaments and such, but his face was a different story. His left eye couldn't open, his right cheek was swollen and a part of his upper lip was split. The archer had to take a hot blade and cut Tristan's eyelid so the blood and pus could flow out and the eye could open again. Next he had to apply it with lotion so it wouldn't get infected, but that was when the boy started to resist.

"Just give me a bottle of Healing Fog!" Tristan snapped. "It will numb the pain and I will be fine in a few minutes.

"Be quiet and hold still," Kish said. "Let me finish." True the healing fog would heal up the wound, but it didn't help against possible infection. He pulled Tristan's face closer and applied the liquid filled cotton swab on the cut on his eyelid. The black haired boy hissed. After putting on the last bandage Kish had finished. He smirked. At least the boy didn't look as hideous as he did before.

"Where are the others?" Tristan asked Kish, who helped him out of bed. The fight really had taken a toll on him, especially that light based attack that struck almost every inch of his body. He was in pain, but not as much as before.

"They're in Charle's room, discussing the next plan of action."

"Isn't that _obvious_?"

Kish shook his head. "We need a better plan then to just go barging in there. We don't know what to expect."

Tristan grunted and Kish led him to Charle's room. He waved his hand, telling the light dragoon to let him go, and limped over to a seat. He noticed that the bandit leader and his lackey was with there as well. What did they want?

"…stronger than any other Wingly out there," he heard Charle explain. What did she say in the beginning? "Unlike my baby brother Melbu, who drew much of his power from the soul of the Virage Embryo, Faust specialized in the art of magic, and became known as the Great Wingly Magician. The reason that the dragoons shot down Flanvel Tower all those years ago was because his power was so great that it was enough to overcome them." Charle sighed and her eyes wandered over to Vector, Tristan noticed. Her eyes looked sad. "Now that they have Riza, I truly fear for the worst."

"But we have to go there, anyway!" Derrick said.

Charle nodded. "Yes, you must. Faust may be very power, but he isn't without weakness. If damaged with physical attacks over magic, you may be able to weaken him. It is also possible that age has taken a toll on his skills. Let us just pray that is the case. You dragoons must work together and stop Faust before he is able to put his terrible plans into fruition."

"Kylin isn't going," Crayk said, abruptly. The young elf girl looked up at him. His blue green eyes were serious, so unlike his usual perky self.

Tristan raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean Kylin isn't going? She's a _dragoon_! She _has_ to go!"

The former bandit leader shook his head. "I'm no coward but I know when something is out of reach. What you are thinking is _suicide_!"

"Well this isn't your fight and any of your business, _bandit!_"

"If Kylin is concerned then it is my _business_!" He wouldn't let what happened to Aria let it happen to Kylin as well.

"Oh, suddenly you've become her guardian? Hm, so you left her to travel all these dangerous places, but it is okay because you left her a dumb necklace for emotional support." Tristan scoffed. "Some person you are!

"Some person I am? You can barely stand! Heck, you can't even keep track of your damn girlfriend!"

"What did you just say?" Tristan shot up from his seat.

"You're just all talk and no action. I could kill you right here and now!"

"I'd like to see you _try_, you one-eyed prick!"

"The pleasure is mine!" Crayk stood up as well and unsheathed his dagger.

"STOP IT!" Kylin screamed. The bandit leader flinched at the sound of her cry.

"That's enough you two!" Derrick said, getting between them. "This isn't the time for you frivolous fights!"

Crayk glared at Tristan for a while, before throwing his hands in the air. "Ugh!" He stormed out of the room. Kylin got out of her seat and went after him.

"That dumb bandit! Who does he think he—"

_SLAP_

Tristan hissed, and turned to see Lani in front of him. His eyes flared. She did _NOT_ just slap him in the face!

Lani's eyes were narrowed. "Don't you _dare_ say that about him! You have no idea! No idea at all!" With that, she too, stormed out of the room.

Derrick groaned. His thumb and index finger rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was starting to feel a headache coming on.

"Do you always have to start a fight?" Nayeli asked, folding her arms. She stared down at the black haired boy.

Tristan just grunted. Why was everyone mad at him? The dumb bandit started it! He noticed Vector from the corner of his eye. He was trying to slip away during the commotion. Something was up, and Tristan wanted to know what it was.

------

Crayk sat hunched over looking at the plants. He shouldn't have snapped like that. Normally he didn't let things get to him, but this was different. He moved his eyes when he noticed Kylin sitting next to him. They both sat there for a while, without speaking a word.

"I have to go," she said, breaking the silence.

He turned to her. "No, you don't. You don't _have_ to do anything."

"Then I _want_ to go," Kylin replied. Her fists were clenched; her mind was already made up.

"Why?!"

"Riza is my friend. She saved my life, saved me from my master. I can't leave her." She looked up at Crayk. "If Lani was in trouble, wouldn't you go to save her?"

He pushed aside his hair, revealing the black eye patch that covered his left eye. He smiled. "Yeah, I would." He hugged Kylin with one of his arms. "If you wanna go, then I'll go with you."

"Of course I'm coming as well." Lani's voice said from behind. She hit Crayk on the head "Someone has to make sure this idiot doesn't get himself into trouble."

The young elf grinned.

-----

Vector went to his chambers and leaned against the wall. He stared out the window, at the clear early afternoon sky. They were going to Flanvel Tower tomorrow. They were going to see Faust tomorrow. Faust was _alive_. He didn't want to go. He would rather stay in Ulara than go back to that forsaken Tower.

He wondered if Faust would recognize him. Not that he cared. No he didn't! Damn, why couldn't the Magician just be bones and rags?

"What the hell is going on?"

Vector turned around, to see Tristan standing by his door. He tried to compose himself.

"What do you mean?"

The black haired boy looked at his companion for a moment. He casually walked inside the room. "You know more about this Faust guy then you let on."

Vector froze. "I don't know wh—"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Tristan snapped. "I have had enough of your bullshit! Do you think I'm stupid or something? Do you think I haven't noticed every time that Faust guy is mentioned you tense up? Is that why you made us walk to Flanvel Tower instead of fly? 'Cause you didn't want to go?" He grabbed Vector by the collar and pushed him in a chair. The Wingly didn't even try to help himself, but fell to the ground. He got up and brushed himself off.

"I have to go," he said, heading toward the door. Tristan blocked his way. Vector's eyes narrowed. "Move."

"What is Faust to you?" Tristan asked. "You know something I know you do!"

Vector tried to avoid eye contact. He didn't want to tell him. He didn't want to have to tell anyone. He hadn't expected this:

Faust _alive_…

He glanced at Tristan, whose green eyes were watching him intensely. Vector ran his fingers through his long silver hair. His head was throbbing. Soa, he really didn't want to do this. He sighed.

"He's my father…" he admitted grudgingly.

Tristan's eyes widened.

"What?!"

* * *

**Author's Note**: I bet you didn't see that coming! Or maybe you did. It is slightly cliché, but whatever! R&R. Important past stuff coming your way!


	19. Fathers and Sons

**Disclaimer**: Hm…I'm running out of interesting ways to say this! (sighs) I don't own LOD. -_-

**Author's Note**: Nothing to say, just thanks a lot for the reviews. Also the italics mean the past, so yeah…

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 19**

_They told her that this was to be her new home; for the rest of her life, she was to serve her Wingly master like the other humans in Flanvel Tower. _

_Seki was handed a cloth. It was her job to clean the lower floor of the Tower alongside twenty or so other slaves, making sure not an ounce of dirt was there. If there was, they warned, she would have to lick the floor clean with her tongue. And if she even thought about _touching_ anything longer than she had to, she would understand the true meaning of punishment when they cut her hand off. _

_The young girl knelt down and began to wash the floor. Tears began to well up in her sapphire eyes. How she wished that her home in the mountains wasn't discovered. It was hidden meticulously so the Winglies couldn't find it and so that her family could live in peace; however one of neighbors had revealed the location of the covert farm when his own freedom was compromised. Now her family was separated, sold into slavery to masters who showed no pity for a species other than their own. She missed her mother's soft touch, her father's mannerisms and her younger brother's adorable smile; but she knew her chance of ever seeing them again was close to none and the thought made her sad. _

_She had been told that this floating tower was a Mobile Fort run by the powerful Magician Faust. Although she had not met him directly, she had heard that he was a ruthless master. On occasion, the elderly Wingly would come down to the lower part of the tower to inspect equipment and see if things were running smoothly. Some of the slaves believed his 'visits' were just an excuse to find someone at fault and have them killed. _

_Seki cursed as her fingers became red with blisters. Her back ached and she was so tired. Life couldn't be worse. Still she found some comfort in the people around her, especially an old woman named Myra, who made sure Seki knew how things went around the Tower. She was grateful to have a mother-like figure in the forsaken place. She soon began to realize that this was her new home and these people were her family now. She just had to cope. But that didn't stop her from praying for freedom. _

-----

_It had been four winters since Seki had come to Flanvel Tower. She was now 18 years of age, an adult to most, but she still had child-like attributes. Despite her enervated body from all the hard labor, her beauty still shined through. Her long fiery red hair was tied in a loose ponytail and her face was round and full despite the morsel amount of food that she was given. _

_She had just finished polishing the weaponry in the rear side of the lower floor, when she heard the voice of one her companions. _

_"He's coming!" the slave hissed. The warning, although it hadn't been heard for the last five years, meant that the Master was coming for his routine visits. Immediately, the slaves went into their positions, dropping everything they had (making sure that nothing broke, of course). Myra prostrated, her lips kissing the ground. Seki followed suit. During her stay in Flanvel Tower, this would be her first encounter with the Master. _

_The doors burst open. A group of what sounded like seven or so Winglies walked in, passing through to look at everything. Seki could feel Myra stiffen as the procession walked by them. She wondered which pair of feet belonged to the Master. _

_Suddenly they stopped. But why? The equipment was behind them, so why stop in front of the slaves? She lifted her head a bit, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her. It was then she made eye contact to that person. Although this was the first time she had ever seen him, Seki knew that she was looking at her Wingly master, Magician Faust. He was just as she had imagined: old, tall, thin, with a menacing look in his eyes. His eyes were so different from the other Winglies, instead of being bright red it was a dull golden color. It was those eyes that were looking right at her. They looked so…hollow._

_Myra put her head down and she immediately regretted what she did. Would they kill her because she saw his face? She could feel her palms starting to sweat. Despite the fact that she wasn't looking at him, Seki could feel the hard golden eyes staring at her intensely. It sent chills down her spine. His feet glued to that particular spot, as if he was studying her. Why couldn't he just keep walking and leave?_

Leave! Make him leave!_ She thought, shutting her eyes, praying to Soa. She could feel the palms accumulate with sweat and her heart was racing. _

LEAVE!!!!

"_Take the girl to the chambers."_

_The voice that spoke was firm and deep. The sound echoed around them. The word "chambers" repeated several times. _

_Seki glanced at Myra, who was shaking. The older woman's face was pale and her eyes looked as if she was holding back tears. Seki soon felt a tug on her arm and she was hoisted up from her prostrated position. It was then the young girl understood. It had all become clear now: Myra pushing her head down, the intense glares…she knew what they meant now. Her eyes widened._

"_No…" At was at first a whisper, mostly due to the shock. After the shock came anger. "No!" She screamed. This couldn't be happening to her! Seki tried to pull free from the guard's grasp, but he only slapped her across the face. She turned and their eyes locked again. She was trembling in fear and could've sworn that during that split second, she saw her Master's lips curl into a malicious smile. _

Soa, help me!_ She prayed. Again, her prayers were unheard; no one came to rescue her. She looked at Myra, but she knew that the old woman could do nothing._

"_Beauty is but a curse to our women…" She heard one of the male slaves say before the door was bolted shut._

_-----_

_She had been very tired lately, more tired than usual. Her back ached and her breast hurt. At first she thought it was because of the hard labor and the fact that she had been sleeping on her stomach so often. However, the answer was obvious. Even a fool could figure it out._

_She was pregnant. _

"_That's what happens when a man and a woman who love each go and sleep in the same bed." That was her mother's response when the 12 year old girl asked what it was. "They become one, and that unity is in the form a child." _

_Seki wanted to puke. _

_That was the definition of pregnancy in a cookie-cut society where everyone was happy and no Winglies existed. _

_That was what it was like before they raided, separated her family and sold her into slavery._

_She was pregnant with that __**bastard's**__ child! He had used her. Abused her. For what? To fulfill his perverted sexual fantasies! She remembered her mother saying that it sex was a wonderful thing. Her mother lied. She had screamed so loud, and it wasn't because she liked it. There was nothing pleasurable about it. It had hurt! Terribly. He seemed to get a kick out of her pain. With every scream or yelp, his smile grew wider—that ugly sneer that was attached to that ugly, wrinkly face. When he was done (and, he took damn his time during the whole ordeal), he tossed her like garbage. So much for the "love" part of it. _

_What was worst was finding out she was with child. She thought Soa would just listen to her prayer and not allow her to become pregnant. But once again the so called Creator hadn't answered _that_ prayer either. She began to question his actual existence. _

_Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the stone wall. She had to get rid of the abomination inside of her. If she killed the baby, she wouldn't have to die herself. It was Wingly law that half-breed children should be killed before the woman ever gave birth. If the law was not complied to, the child, along with the human mother would be put to death. Though, death seemed rather tempting at the moment. Still, it didn't matter _how_ she died, she was going to hell anyway. The Winglies had control of every aspect of her life, even in death. _

_But it was _his _baby she was carrying. His little demon child was inside of her. Growing. Living off of her. Sucking the __**life**__ out of her! Not if she had anything to say about it!_

_She began to hit her belly hard with her fists. She wanted everything to be back to the way it was, before any of this happened. But deep down she knew nothing would ever be the same again. Everyone looked at her differently, treated her differently. It was subtle, but it was obvious enough to her. Even Myra. Every time the old woman saw her, she shook her head. Sure, she helped her and was there like she had always done, but Seki could see it in her eyes:_

_Disapproval. _

_Pity. _

_Disgust. _

_Seki burst into tears. Why was Soa punishing her? She didn't deserve this! Hadn't she suffered enough? How long must she remain tormented?! Was anyone going to relieve her of her suffering?_

_Her head began to pound and she lay down on the ground. She stopped hitting herself and allowed her hand to rest on her stomach. _

_What am I doing? She asked herself._

_You're trying to kill a bastard child before it ruins your life, her mind argued. _

_That was true. A fiend was growing inside of her… _

_But…_

_There was a 'but'._

…_it had a part of her too. It couldn't be _that_ evil._

_It wasn't the baby's fault; it didn't ask to be conceived. Her eyes softened as she rubbed the lower part of her belly. She remembered when her mother was pregnant with her younger brother. Her mother was careful in everything she did, and when the baby was born she was so happy, glowing with pride and joy. Wasn't it a mother's duty to protect her child, no matter what the cost? _

_It wasn't just his baby, his little demon child, that was growing in her. This was __**her **__baby. She admitted it. The child, he or she, was hers!_

"_I'm sorry for trying to hurt you," she apologized, talking to the life that was growing inside of her. "Can you forgive me?"_

_You don't have to do this Seki, her mind shouted._

_She wasn't going to waiver. She was going to protect __**her**__ child, even if it cost her life. _

_

* * *

_

"What do you mean 'father'?" Tristan asked. He looked carefully at Vector, who put his head down.

"He wasn't a real father per say; more like a scientist working with his guinea pig. Still…" His red eyes looked so sad, hollow, lost in another place. "…as much as I want to deny it, he is still my father. Half of me comes from him and the other half is from a human slave."

Tristan cocked his brow. Had he heard correctly?

Vector smiled at him weakly. "Did you know my mother was human?" The darkness dragoon shook his head. "Most people don't. I look nothing like her. Still it wasn't uncommon back then for Wingly masters to have their way with female slaves."

He sighed, and closed his eyes. His thumb and index finger rubbed the bridge of his straight, pasty white nose. Telling this to Tristan was a lot harder than he had expected. Not many people knew about his past, and he had liked it that way. In their ignorance, he found out how people truly saw him.

_A smartass. _That was how Tristan put it. Vector liked his honesty. To him, it was better to be a smartass, then to be pitied. He hated pity. It did nothing for him. Just made the people who showed it internally thank their lucky stars that their life wasn't as messed up as his. He wondered if Tristan pitied him, now. He looked into the green orbs, searching into the windows of his fellow dragoon's soul.

There was no pity in them.

Not an ounce.

Just curiosity.

And his eyes demanded answers. So, Vector would grant the wish.

"My mother had hidden her pregnancy for a long time. She'd almost been killed, but Faust could feel the strong magical 'potential' in her womb. The mystery of genetics is my guess. What he found really strange was that even though I was half human I had strong magical powers, so I wasn't thrown away."

"Thrown away?"

Vector nodded. "Wingly children born with weak magical powers were discarded. Half-breed children or 'abominations' as they called them, were also killed along with their mothers". He heard Tristan quickly suck in a breath.

* * *

_Secrets. Sometimes they were easy to keep. Sometimes they weren't._

_Wits were the key._

_So was keeping your mouth shut._

_It had been six months since she found out that she was pregnant, and she hadn't told anyone about it, not even Myra. She tried not to be obvious about it, dismissing the symptoms as just tiredness from all the hard labor, subtly eat more food, or sew herself larger clothes. She was careful in everything she did. She never let anything drop on her, or anything hit her gut. No one had suspected a thing. And if they did, they never let it show._

_She was also seeing Faust a lot more often than she was used to. Once in a while he would do his routine visits to the lower floor of the tower, and it wasn't a five year gap with each one. When he was there, he would stop in front of her prostrated figure, and just stand there for a few seconds, then leave. But he never called her to the chamber again. Good. She never wanted to set foot into that room again! _

_However, despite its adulterated conception, her child had become a vector of hope for her. Hope that she would leave this place and she and her child would live in happiness._

_Seki gently rubbed her protruding belly, smiling, but then she frowned. She had hidden her pregnancy for so long, and she knew that sooner or later she would be found out. It was during these last few months that the pregnancy really begun to show. Her belly would get bigger; her swollen feet would be even worse and she would be slower. Her tardiness would definitely spark attention. Her greatest fear was that the Wingly guards would kill her baby. _

_How strange…she didn't even fear for her own life, just the life of her unborn child. _

_She was squeezing the wet cloth in her hand and began to wipe the large metal machine in front of her, when she felt it. Was something wrong? It hurt. She cringed, touched her belly and gasped: the baby was moving! This was supposed to be a joyous and bonding moment between mother and child. But it had caught her off guard, causing her to drop her cloth. _

_She cursed. One of the Wingly guards eyed her. She tried to pick up the cloth, but she couldn't bend all the way down. She tried to bend her legs, then stretch to reach it. The guard walked toward her. She reached farther. He was getting closer. She had the cloth in her hand; problem now was getting back up. The Wingly was next her now._

"_Get up!" he barked. _

_The other slaves glanced to see what the commotion was about, but quickly went back to their work. They didn't want to get involved and appear to be sympathizing for the unfortunate victim._

_Seki struggled to raise herself up again. Just a few months ago, she would've done it in a second, but now it was harder. Much harder. She leaned against the machinery, but the guard pushed her to the ground. He sneered. _

"_Get up!" he taunted. He spit at her face, and tried to kick her, but she rolled on the ground, clutching her belly for dear life. Annoyed, the guard grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up himself. The Wingly cocked his head, sensing something from her—something that wasn't supposed to be there. His red eyes gazed downward to where her hand was. His eyes widened and he felt her stomach. _

"_Abomination!" he shouted, throwing her to the ground. He unsheathed his sword. _

_Seki backed up as the guard drew closer to her. No, she wouldn't let him harm her child. She noticed a filled bucket of water, and quickly reached for it and threw it at the Wingly's face. She tried to scurry away, as he wiped his drenched face, but he grabbed her leg and pulled it. She yelped. _

"_You've done it now human!" he growled raising his sword. _

_Seki closed her eyes tightly. No, it couldn't end, not like this. _

_The doors flew open and the guard stopped. _

"_Enough!" _

_Her eyes opened slowly, and she saw standing above her was none other than her Master. What was he doing here? Faust glared at the guard. Understanding, her attempted murderer immediately hoisted her up. The room was silent. The Magician glanced at Seki, whose eyes were narrowed. His golden eyes moved to her protruding belly._

"_Just as I suspected, you are with child." With his right hand he caressed her abdomen area in a circular motion. "I knew such a strong magical aura couldn't be emitted by you." Finally he placed his hand on one spot. "There you are. How interesting…" _

_She could've sworn that his eyes glistened that very moment. He turned to the Wingly guard._

"_Take her to one of the rooms upstairs. Make sure she is well fed and taken care of. We wouldn't want the anything __**unfortunate**__ to happen to the unborn child." He said, his lips curling into a small smile. _

_------_

"_AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"_

"_WAAH!"_

_There were only two voices that could be heard in the room. _

_The cry of the mother._

_And the cry of her child._

_Seki breathed heavily. Sweat drenched her brow as she brought a new life into the world. _

_Normally half breed children wouldn't even be allowed to be born. Normally a human (other than midwifes) wasn't allowed to step foot into the Birth City. But this was different. Her child was different from the rest. _

"_It's a boy!" she heard someone say. _

A boy…

_She would turn to one of the human midwives and stretched out her hands. She would hold her child, her son. He would look mostly like her: red hair, blue eyes. Yes! And he would be neatly placed into her arms and they would share a moment._

_That wasn't what happened. Well, not entirely. _

_Gasps and whispers filled the air. _

"_Give me, my son…" She moaned. She felt so weak. She stretched out her arms. In her arms a child was placed, but was it hers? He looked nothing at her. Not at all. He didn't even look human! Silver hair covered his tiny pea shaped head, and his eyes were the color of blood. He looked like a _Wingly_ baby._

_He was quiet as he lay in her arms. His small hand stretched and he cooed. Her eyes softened. Of course he was hers. Her mother had once told her that a baby knew the smell of its own mother, and that was why they didn't cry around them. The child felt safe with the person who had taken care of them for nine months. Her little vector of hope had arrived into the world. _

_Vector…_

_She liked that name. "Vector. That is your name." _

_Seki looked at the sleeping child in her arms once more. She wondered what would happen next. Would her Master let them go? Let her live in peace with her son? Would he claim it as his own? She didn't want that. She didn't want him to morph her son into a monster, a slave driver. No, she wanted her son to be a glisten of hope for the human race. Perhaps he would be the link between the two species. _

_She smiled to herself. She had such high hopes for her child and he couldn't even walk yet._

_True, the two had their moment, but it was short lived. __**He**__ walked in, and ruined it all. _

_Everyone bowed as he approached the mother and son. His eyes fell on the bundle in Seki's arms. The magical potential that was in this child was incredible. It was strange that someone with human blood running through his veins could hold so much power. _

"_What an interesting little creature…" _

_The redheaded teenager glared at him and held her son tighter. _

"_His name is Vector." _

_She was the only one who dared be bold with him. The servants eyed each other, wondering if she would get away with her rude tongue. _

_The child squirmed in her arms and began to cry. _

_The Magician's eyed the wailing baby. This wasn't his child._

_Just another bastard._

"_Take them to the dungeons." _

------

"I was just a mere accidental half breed, but I had just as much power as a full blooded Wingly and I looked like one too. My mother thought that maybe, because of my appearance, we would be allowed to live freely." He paused and shook his head. "However that never happened. That wasn't part of Faust's 'plan' for the new born child. He refused to claim me as his own and threw us into the dungeon. Now that I was born, my mother didn't need to be taken care of anymore."

Vector eyed Tristan again, who was leaning against the wall, eyes closed. Was he even listening?

"Go on," he responded, as if he were reading the Wingly's thoughts. "I'm listening."

Vector had expected a rude comment to follow, but none came. He continued.

"It was after I was weaned that they began to take me to the labs in Aglis to do some tests. They wanted to know what made me tick. I was just their little lab rat…" His red eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. He placed his hand into his hair feeling the scar. Even now, the pain remained. "I was part **human**, so it was '_**okay**_'_. _That was how they justified their actions."

------

"_Mom!!! I want my mom!" The nine year old boy screamed as he was thrown into another cell. He ran to the bars and screamed at the top of his little lungs. _

"_Be quiet you brat!" The guard threw a small red charm at the boy. Immediately it ignited, burning the boy. The guard sneered. "Now keep your mouth shut until the scientists get here. I don't want to have to kill you before then."_

_He fell and rolled on the ground, trying to get the fire out. It had burned his barely existent clothes as well as his skin. Tears escaped the eyes and he started to breathe heavily. His singed skin hurt. _

"_I just want my mom…" he moaned._

"_You will see your mother soon." _

_He slowly turned his head and saw three men in long white gowns standing by the entrance of the cell. They were smiling, but not because they cared about him. No, it was one of mockery and belittlement. He was just their toy that they could play with and easily discard. He huddled closer to the wall as the cell door opened. His pale face grew even whiter as they began to walk towards him. _

"_We just have to run a few more tests, first." _

_He was taken to one of the laboratories in the upper floor of the building in Aglis. The room was dome shaped and vacant expect for the table that was positioned upward and the few cabinets that held supplies. On the other side of the room was a small squirrel chained to the wall. It squirmed and began to bite the magical bindings, but its efforts were in vain. That creature was part of the test, just like him._

_One of the human servants removed his clothes. He never understood why they removed his clothes; the scientists only worked on his head for the most part. Why couldn't he keep his clothes on? He had asked the servant that one day. She paused for a moment, probably surprised to hear the boy talking to her, before whispering: "To make you feel as if you are nothing but garbage and don't deserve to live." _

_The servant placed him on the vertical table and immediately green bands wrapped around his hands, feet and head, holding them in place. A cloth was stuffed in his mouth so his screams couldn't break the scientists' concentration and 'accidently' cause 'permanent damage that couldn't be undone.' He was special, different from all the other human-Wingly children they had ever seen, so these tests were necessary. At least, that was what they told him._

_At the corner of his eye, the boy saw the sharp utensils and the bottles on the tray next to him. He began to cry; he knew that the pain was about to come. _

"_This will only take a few minutes." One of the men said, picking up a knife. The boy knew that it was a lie. A few minutes were the equivalent of days to Wingly scientists. _

_The man positioned himself to the back of the table where there was an opening so he could have access to the boy's head from behind. He then placed the magical blade on the back of the boy's skull and slowly began to cut through his scalp, piercing through bone. All of the boy's hair had already been shaved off. It was a nuisance during the procedure. _

_He screamed through the cloth and began to move violently. He wanted to get out, to escape the pain. He could feel the warm blood stream down his back. _

_The scientist sighed. "You are only making this procedure harder, Vector. You do want to see your mother again, don't you?"_

_A flood of tears escaped his eyes. They had promised that if he was obedient that he would get to see his mother. That's all he really wanted—to feel her touch and rest in her arms of reassurance. The boy gave a small nod._

"_Then you must keep __**still**__. There is no gain without a little pain. Besides once this is over we'll heal you right back up. Now…" The man placed a needle into the boy's brain. "Try to cast a light based spell on that creature."_

_The boy's eyes changed to a pale yellow color. He could feel his blood boil as his magical power was released. The room glowed brightly, and a beam of light shot at the squirrel and it yelp. It tried to run, but was pulled back by the chain around its neck._

"_Good, very good." The man scratched some notes on a pad. At such a young age, the boy was able to cast spells without using his hands. Such immense mental control… Then again, what did he expect? The boy had the blood of the greatest Wingly Magician running through his veins. A pity there was also human blood there as well. "Can you cast the same spell if I touch here? Or here?"_

_The boy's eyes drifted to the door where a tall elderly Wingly stood. He met the man's gaze and his red eyes pleaded with the pair of golden ones. Save me, they implored. Help me! But the man stood there silently, watching until the procedure was over. _

-----

"When they were finished they would take me back to Flanvel Tower to be with my mother in the cell. Thank Soa, Charle came along and took my mother and me away from that wretched place. I still don't know how she found out about us, but I am grateful she did. It wasn't long after that the Dragoons shot down Flanvel Tower and I was truly relieved; I thought that the bastard was finally dead. Who knew he was alive this whole time?"

When Vector finished his tale, Tristan stood there silently, digesting everything he heard. His eyebrows furrowed. For once, he was at a loss for words. He would've never imagined Vector was tortured as a child. The Wingly, no _half_-Wingly, never let it show. He always looked like he was in control of things. But then again, everyone had a past, something that they wanted to hide.

"Do you hate me?" Vector asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?"

"Don't you hate me? It's my _father_ who took Riza away. He's been behind it this whole time! I'm the son of such a …!" He was interrupted when a fist made contact with his face. He fell to the floor, and blood was creeping out of the corner of his mouth. Was it just him, or was he getting hit in the face a lot more recently. He wiped his mouth and looked up at Tristan.

"Just because you're his son, doesn't mean you are him! So you look like him. Big whoop! Most sons look like their fathers, it's just the way it goes." Tristan knelt down on one knee, and looked Vector straight in the eyes. He pointed a finger the half-Wingly. "You are not a prisoner of fate, but of your own _mind_. Deep down inside a small part of you thinks that you will turn out to be just like him, just because you are his son. But you're _not_ him."

Vector tried to avert raven haired boy's gaze. He was never one who liked to listen, and this was something he definitely didn't want to hear! But Tristan grabbed his face, and forced him to look into the emerald abyss.

"You're not some crazy Wingly psycho!"

'_Blood is thicker than nectar.' That's how the saying goes! _

"A smartass, yes."

_You are just an ignorant fool!_

"An attention grabber, yes."

_You just don't understand at all!_

"An asshole, hell yes!"

There was a pause.

"But you're also, your _mother's_ son."

_!_

Another pause.

"Nature versus nurture…I wonder which prevailed in your case."

There was silence for a moment. Tristan let go of Vector's face and repositioned himself, so he could sit on the floor.

"Did I mention that you are a smartass?" he asked.

"And you are narrow-minded idiot," Vector scoffed. Although, he liked the honesty, it was a little too much. Still, he had to admit, Tristan was a lot smarter than he gave him credit for. He stared at his green eyes for a moment, and he then smirked. He got up and rubbed his red cheek. Tristan hoisted himself up.

"That phrase, 'You are not a prisoner of fate, but of your own mind', I believe I have read it somewhere before."

"'History of the Kings of Serdio,'" the black haired boy replied, nonchalantly. "Words were spoken by King Franklin during the Great Serdian Depression." He gazed at Vector. "I guess I'm not such a 'narrow-minded idiot' after all."

Vector could help but laugh. "I wonder if this is the start of a friendship."

Tristan cocked his brow. "For the second time: No." he plainly stated. "Just tolerance." He had noticed that he had begun to tolerate the half-Wingly more and more. Though, friendship was pushing it a bit.

* * *

"_Men are not prisoners of fate_, _but_ _only_ _prisoners_ _of_ _their own minds_._" _

_Franklin Delano Roosevelt._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note**: Well, there you have it! Vector's past and how Faust came to be his 'father'. See, Tristan isn't completely heartless. Well R&R people. Yeah, this one was mostly the past than anything else. Oh well. The next chapter is sure to be an exciting one! **foxthefox**, that is the chapter you have been waiting for, and anyone else who wants to know how Riza became the new Moon Child. Stick around Chapter 20 is on its way!


	20. Flanvel Tower

**Disclaimer**: I don't own many things. I don't own an iPod. I don't even own a pair of skinny jeans! LOD is part of that list of things not owned by Shin. But I do own an aloe plant! :P

**Author's Note**: Wow, guys, I made it up to Chapter 20! Action. Drama. Answered Questions. All here, in this chapter. Sit tight and read!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 20**

Everyone was training, prepping themselves for the inevitable battle ahead. Tristan gnashed his teeth as he leaned in toward Derrick with his rapier, trying to pressure the older man down. He jumped away and charged again, dodging a hit to the head, and punched Derrick square in the face.

"Good, very good," Derrick said, wiping the blood from his nose. "But don't let emotion drive you. Fight using what you have learned and the environment around you." He looked at Tristan and his eyes softened. "She's going to be okay. Riza's a tough cookie to crack."

Tristan said nothing. He couldn't help but feel responsible. He should've been watching her back, but he let his own emotions get in the way. He clenched his fists.

"Now, don't feel sorry for yourself," the knight said, stretching his aching back. "If you do, you'll just end up getting yourself killed. Besides…" He patted Tristan's shoulder. "…I am just as responsible." He lowered his eyes. "I had promised her father that I would make sure that she was safe." He sighed. "Let's take a break, alright?"

Tristan nodded as her wiped the sweat off of his brow. He had been training with Derrick for four hours straight, trying to perfect his offensive attacks. He was a lot faster now, and his timing was better. However, he couldn't help but feel at a disadvantage. He knew that in order to _truly_ train and be prepared for tomorrow, he needed to fight someone who could control magic at will. He had just the person in mind.

He hadn't seen Vector since their talk earlier. When he spotted the half-Wingly on the roof of one of the buildings, Tristan used the teleporter to get there. Vector turned around, noticing his presence.

"Fight with me." Tristan said plainly. His sudden request took Vector aback, so the black-haired boy explained. "Charle says that this guy is some 'Great Magician' and a possible weakness is physical attacks. Fighting wooden poles or human opponents won't allow me to prepare myself."

Vector looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. "Alright. I'll help you; but I won't go easy on you." He sheathed his katana. "We'll fight in the desert since it will allow us more space."

"What about the monsters already there?"

"The more the better." He picked up his glass of water and drank. The cold liquid eased his burning throat. "Ah! Faust isn't working alone, so we will have to be fighting more Winglies."

Vector walk toward Tristan and tapped the boy's dragoon spirit. "Make sure this thing is fully charged and that you are at all times in dragoon form. You could be _killed_ if any of my magic attacks hit your human form."

Tristan cocked his brow. "Someone is quite confident in his abilities."

They used the teleporting device to leave Ulara and enter into the desert. They walked a few miles out before settling on a spot to fight. Tristan fought a few sandworms before transforming into his dark purple counterpart. He cracked his knuckles.

"Let's do this!"

Tristan flew towards Vector, who stood there completely still. He extended his rapier about to strike when the half-Wingly took flight, dodging the attack.

"Speed is an advantage that Winglies naturally possess over humans. Even in your dragoon form, it may be difficult to catch up." Vector explained from above. "You must be able to break through that defense." A dark cloud formed above Tristan and he stared wide-eyed as a red beam of light struck him. He knew what was coming and dodged some of the shafts of light, but not all of them.

"Magic is another and _deadly_ advantage. The ability to conduct different spells against an opponent that has a particular elemental weakness helps buy someone time to attack again. You can tell how strong a Wingly is by the length of time it takes for them to cast a spell." He began to move his right hand. "The less hand movement, the more powerful your opponent is. However it is possible that your opponent can trick you to believe that he or she is weaker, so always be on guard." He appeared in front of Tristan and began to punch him vehemently in the gut. Tristan backed away and growled.

"The worst type of Wingly is one who has an equal balance among speed, magic, and physical attacks. They are well rounded and are harder to beat."

"Like you, right?" Tristan scoffed.

Vector shrugged. "Well I wouldn't…okay yeah, like me." He grinned and unsheathed his katana. "Now, let the _fighting_ begin."

* * *

"Wakey, wakey!" A voice taunted in her ears.

Riza moaned, and stared up with half open lids. She shook the sleep from her eyes and blinked a few times to gain full vision. In front of her stood the two Winglies that had captured her. She tried to move, but noticed that she was bound by her arms and legs to a circular contrivance to keep her imprisoned. Her eyes drifted around the room as she tried to take in her surroundings. It was a pretty small room that was illuminated by several green lights. The room had some glass cabinets that held bottles and equipment. In the distance was a tray on a stand that had some syringes and scissors and more bottles.

_What did they plan to do with those?_ She wondered.

She tried to pull her arms out but her efforts were in vain. She glared at the magical shackles. Damn, she needed to get out of here!

"You have caused a lot of trouble for us little girl," the male Wingly, Lenox, said, poking her head.

"Don't touch me," Riza warned, staring at him with narrowed eyes.

He laughed. "Or you're gonna do what? I could kill you this very instant."

Riza scoffed. "So says the man with one arm."

The Wingly's eyes flared. He grabbed her face. "You may be Faust's toy, but that doesn't mean that I can't still fuck up that little face of yours." She spit in his eye. He backed up and laughed a bit, wiping the drool from his eye. He smiled at her before punching her in the face. She jerked backward. Five blood filled streaks formed on her right cheek. He placed his clawed armguard on her neck.

"I dare you to try that _again_."

"Lenox!" Lohita snapped. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lenox turned to his female companion. "Just a little payback." He reverted his attention back to the human girl before him. "You deserve much more than _that_ for killing my brother."

Riza glared at him. She could feel her blood boil.

"How about we play a little game?" Lenox sneered. "You say things that will piss me off and I'll hit you. What do you say?"

There was silence for a moment, and then the girl started to giggle. It turned into a snicker until full blown laughter. She smirked. "_Hit_ me. I dare _**you**_." Her voice was deep and it resonated throughout the room. The male Wingly didn't seem to take much notice, annoyed by her mockery of him, and went in for the punch. Blue eyes glistened and there was a flash of light.

Lenox flew backwards from the impact and crashed into the tray of needles and glass. The ripple effect of the attack shattered the glass cabinets. He growled and stared at the girl, who was giving him a sinister smile. He heard the sound of clapping. He looked up and saw _him_. He lowered his eyes in shame and moved out of the way. He grudgingly prostrated to the elder Wingly before him.

Faust clapped slowly. "I am very impressed Virage Embryo." He turned to Lenox and glared at him. "Try not to get yourself more injured." His eyes motioned to the missing arm. He turned back to the girl. "So, you come out when your human host is danger…" He looked into the girl's narrowed blue eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I can help you get your body, _if_ you are willing do as I ask."

"I don't bargain with Winglies," she stated plainly. "Because of _your_ power-hungry ways, you prolonged Soa's will and casted my body to the sky!"

"True, but you want to cleanse this world of impurities. I want the world cleansed of the impurities called the humans." He stepped closer to her, his face now next to hers. "You will help me accomplish it." He whispered in her ear.

She cocked a brow. "Will I? I doubt—ah…." Her eyes rolled backward and her head drooped forward. Faust pulled the syringe out of her neck and wiped the needle on the rim of his gray robe.

"Yes, you will."

------

They had placed her into a water filled vat and put a breathing apparatus around her nose and mouth, which was connected to the top of the large container. If she were to ever 'stir up' again, the mask would release a sedative into her system to calm her down. The scientists ran several tests to study how she reacted with the Moon Crystal. Many times she tried to escape, but her efforts were in vain as the gas filled her lungs and put her to sleep.

It was now time for the hourly check up. One of the Wingly scientists came in. He watched her chest moved steadily as she breathed in and out. He looked at the numbers on the machine.

"Heart rate is normal…" he mumbled. He wrote notes down, punched in a few numbers, and then added more notes. He circled the large container, watching the girl. She had made a mess of the laboratory room. Years of hard work ruined. He sighed. She wasn't what he expected the Moon Child to look like. She was so young…

"What is her condition?" a voice said from behind.

The scientist nearly jumped. He quickly composed himself and turned to his Master. "She is resting as of now." He flipped through some sheets of paper, and read over one. "We ran a few more tests with the Moon Crystal. It seems that the soul is becoming more predominant in the girl. It's strange really…" The Magician eyed him. The scientist adjusted his glasses. "The Moon glowed red over 30 years ago; I had just expected the host to be a little older."

"Her age is not of any importance. What matters is that she is indeed the Moon Child." Faust put his hand on the glass vat that held the young girl. He wondered what the soul of the Virage Embryo saw in _this_ child to choose her as its host. She seemed more like a _brat_ in his opinion; still there had to be something about her that attracted it, giving her the power of a god. She had yet tapped into her full potential. He would help her achieve that. With the help of this young human, he will be able to remobilize Flanvel Tower and accomplish eternal and absolute dominance which even Melbu Frahma couldn't attain. He would be the ruler of the world!

"Set up the Amalgamating Device, the other dragoons will be here soon," the wizard ordered.

The scientist nodded. "Yes, sir." With that the Wingly took off.

Faust gazed at the girl before him. One of his long pasty fingers outlined her face through the fogged glass.

"Moon Child…What are you thinking of?"

* * *

She felt tired, exhausted, but she had to keep going. Her heart was pounding vehemently. She could hear footsteps behind her. She dared not look back, in fear she might falter. Adrenaline pushed her forward.

Riza entered an abandoned town and took cover behind a pile of bricks, trying to catch her breath. How did she even get into this situation in the first place? All she could remember was the need to run, the need to escape. But from what? That she couldn't remember, either. She needed to stay calm, but her heart wouldn't stop pounding. Her desire to know who her predator was overpowered her fears. She peered above the bricks and gasped. The vacant city was now ablaze. Phantoms of people were running and screaming. Riza got up and watched as the throng of people passed through her.

'The demon is here!' She heard someone shriek.

_Demon_?

The sound of a loud crack caught her attention. She quickly turned and saw someone was standing in the distance. She stared wide eyed at the dark figure that stood before her. It had tattered wings and dark armor. She couldn't see its face, but she didn't need to. She knew what it was. She eyed the long sword that it held and fear rushed into her.

_The Black Monster…_

_He's going to kill us!_ A voice said in her head. _We must leave!_

She turned and ran as fast as she could into the forest. She had to escape. As she went deeper, the forest turned into a gray void. What was going on? She stopped and turned around. The phantom people had vanished and only _**it**_ remained.

The winged figure lunged at her and she evaded the attack. She ducked and kicked its shins. However her feet went right through its body, as if it was just a mere shadow. She tumbled, parrying another attack. She scrambled back up and started to run.

"Stay away from me!" She turned her head to see if it was behind her. She saw nothing. She slammed into something, and fell to the ground. She shook her head and gazed up. There it stood, towering over her. It knelt down, coming close to her. The closer it got the less obscure the face was. It was male. Dark hair. Piercing green eyes. Her eyes widened.

"Tristan?!" she whispered, backing away from him.

He said nothing, but just stared at her.

"Tristan, it's _me_. Riza! What are you doing?!"

He raised his sword. "Die."

Riza closed her eyes and screamed. She expected to feel pain, but none came. She opened her eyes and looked around. Tristan was gone. She was now in a vacant white walled room.

_He's going to kill us! Tristan! He'll kill us!_

"You're wrong! Tristan isn't the Black Monster!" she yelled.

_Oh, but he is! He threatens our very existence. The rage of the monster will consume him and he will kill you!_

"That's a lie!" Riza countered. "He isn't a monster! He's my friend and my—"

_DON'T LET YOUR EMOTIONS PUT YOU IN DENIAL! WE MUST DESTROY HIM, BEFORE HE DESTROYS US!_

"SHUT UP!" She could hear the walls around her murmuring. Her eyes narrowed. "Virage Embryo, I know you're here! Show yourself!"

A wormhole appeared before her and out stepped a woman. She was about Riza's height. Her face was the color of snow and ebony hair cascaded down her back. Green markings tattooed much of her body, and a single blue ribbon floated around her, concealing her breasts and the region below her waist. Bright turquoise eyes stared at Riza.

"I am Kazic." Her voice was sonorous, but motherly, and resonated throughout the room. "You have called for me, host?"

Riza eyed the woman before her carefully. "So this is what you look like… and I'm _not_ your host!"

"Correction, you are my host _now_, you just weren't my _original_ choice." Kazic looked at her counterpart. She floated around the room, circling Riza like a vulture. "My host was to have royal blood and be female. The princess' servants would've been my evangelists and help me get to my body. Your mother was the perfect choice."

"How could she be the perfect choice? She's just the daughter of the Mayor of Seles and that is far from _royalty_."

"Wrong. She was one of two daughters to the Queen and King of Mille Seseau." The soul laughed. "It was fate that the Black Monster killed the wrong child. It was Soa's will for me to cleanse the world." Riza watched as Kazic clenched her fists. "I almost had the chance to join with my body, when the Winglies snatched it away from me again."

So many questions plagued Riza's mind. Her mother was royalty? Of Mille Seseau? She shook her head. That wasn't why she called the soul. No she had more important questions that need to be answered. "I don't know what lies you are trying to tell me about Tristan being the Black Monster, but I will have none of it. Do you hear me?"

"You should never fall in love with your enemy. But then again, your mother befriended the enemy, as well. I guess the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree." The soul laughed, but her humor wasn't shared. She cleared her throat. "As I was saying: soon your mother became ill. I had expected that; she was quite frail and couldn't handle the pressure of two entities in one body." She sighed and shook her head. "I _needed_ my host in order to help me get to my body, but here she was dying."

Riza cocked a brow. "Why didn't you just give up?"

Kazic's blue eyes flared. "NO! I was so close to my body just _**seven**_ years before! I couldn't let that feeling escape me! I refused to wait another _108_ _**years**_. No, I was willing to go into a new host, even though the process would be a bit unstable." She looked at Riza and smiled.

"That was when I saw _you_. An innocent child was perfect. You were female and even if it was faint, you still had royal blood in your veins as well. Even though you weren't a baby, the transmigration was feasible."

"So you went into my body in the hopes that you could become the god of destruction?" Riza scoffed. "Well it isn't going to happen."

"I beg to differ. Besides, we need each other."

"I don't _need_ you at all!" Riza yelled pushing Kazic against the wall. She snarled. "Now, get _out_ of my head and _out_ of my body!"

The soul laughed. "Don't _need_ me, you say? Who was the one who saved you when you were drowning? It wasn't that boy Garrett or his little friend. It was _**I**_. If I had not intervened, you would've been dead by now!"

Riza flinched. She remembered that voice in her mind when she was in the water, ready to give up on life. She lowered her eyes and released her hold on the soul. The soul had saved her life. It made her stronger, nimbler…but it wasn't like she could remember her actions. Also, what was the price she was supposed to pay with this power? No, she didn't want it.

"I won't help you."

Kazic sneered. "You don't have much of a choice." She lifted her hand and a beam of blue energy hit Riza in the chest, causing her to fly backwards. The soul walked over and bent down to her level. "I give you credit. You are much stronger than your mother, both mentally and physically. I was afraid taking over was going to be quite difficult, until that Wingly woman came and created an opening for me." She tapped Riza's head. "I guess I have her to thank for that."

Riza closed her eyes. She was tired. Very, very tired.

* * *

Tristan lay on the bed and gazed up at the ceiling, thinking. In a few short hours he and the other dragoons (and the two bandits, much to his dismay) would go to Flanvel Tower to fight the world's most strongest Magician—the Magician that even the very first dragoons feared. He wondered what would happen. Would he be unable to keep the promise that he made with his mother? He told her to wait for him, but a small fear crept up in him—a fear that he may not ever return home again.

_NO!_

Thinking negative thoughts only resulted in negative things! So he wouldn't think about that. He will go to Flanvel Tower kill Faust, kill the Wingly that murdered his family, and rescue Riza.

_Riza…_

He turned on his side. He prayed that she was okay. He knew she was strong, even stronger than him in some areas, but he couldn't help but worry. He remembered what Vector told him about Faust and his 'torture methods'. If that man laid one finger on her, he would decapitate the old prick himself!

He closed his eyes.

_Wait for me, Riza. I'm coming…_

------

Charle had equipped them with items that she thought was necessary for the battle ahead. She had given each of the dragoons a stone that would reduce the damage of their opposite element by half. Not only that, but armor so that they would receive no damage from their distinct element. She had also given Lani a Magic Shield, which once activated eliminated damage from magical attack, and gave Crayk a Spiritual Ring, which raised his magical defense.

After packing a sufficient amount of Recovery Items, Attacking Items, and Curing Items, the team set off to Kashua Glacier. They flew (Nayeli carrying both Lani and Crayk) for a few hours and reached the frigid terrain. When they reached a frozen tall spiral structure, Vector's eyes narrowed. He was finally going to come face to face with _him._ His heart began to beat faster and he could feel emotions begin to rise. He let out a breath. He needed to calm down.

_Think and fight with your mind, not with your emotions, _he repeated to himself.

He suggested that he lead the way from here on out, since no one else had any knowledge of Flanvel Tower (though he wished he couldn't remember anything).

They traveled on several green teleporters that were connected by a network of large gray fibers that led them either up or down. Vector led his friends quietly, thinking of what was to come.

"Do you have any idea where they could be keeping her?" Kylin asked, breaking the silence.

"We better not be lost!" Nayeli snapped, as they stepped on yet another teleporter. "We seem like we're going around in circles."

Vector said nothing for a moment. The collapse of the tower had moved things around, but he wasn't lost. Despite the fact he hadn't been here in over 10,000 years, the memory of this place was all too clear in his mind. "No, we are not lost. Just stick together. They are probably keeping her in the dungeon. That's Faust usually keeps his…" He caught himself from saying 'experiments'. He sighed. "Come on."

They entered a room and there was a flash of light. Before them stood a man that had a long gray, that had golden embroidery on the front, with a long hat to match. He wore a mauve and large orange, transparent wings aided in levitating him from the ground. A long silver beard hung from the bottom of his face and he held a long wooden staff that curled into a circle at the top. He opened his eyes revealing a pair of menacing golden orbs.

"My name is Faust. The commander of the super mobile fort Flanvel. Below is the Land of Taboo. Nobody is allowed to pass through. If you would like to stay alive, go away at once!"

Tristan's eyes narrowed. He was about to charge at the elderly Wingly, when Vector stopped him. "What?!" he hissed.

"Something doesn't feel right." Vector looked harder at the man that stood before him. "It's not him," he said, pushing his comrades back a bit.

"What do you mean 'not him'?" Tristan snapped. "The guy just spilled his life story to us!"

"It's an apparition," the blue sea dragoon explained.

"Like a ghost or something?" Lani asked.

Vector nodded. "It was his most successful creation—an apparition that is just as powerful as himself. If he is guarding here with his own apparition then what we seek really is down below."

"Then let's beat this ghost and go!" Tristan snapped again.

"You can't _touch_ a ghost, stupid," Crayk said, rolling his eyes. The black haired boy glared at him. The bandit groaned. "What are we gonna do now?"

Vector sighed, defeated. "I don't know…if we try to fight the apparition it will be suicide and we'll just waste all our items." He cursed under his breath.

Kylin's pocket began to feel warm. She glanced down and pulled out the yellow transparent ball that her brother had given her. It was resonating and illuminating violently.

"What?!" She held out the orb, shielding her eyes from the light.

The wizard apparition gasped. "Oh, nooo…that… that stone… is the Vanishing Stone…created by Melbu who even was afraid of my, my power. Oh no! My apparition… will… vanish." He began to phase in and out, until finally the apparition disappeared.

"Alright, Kylin!" Crayk praised patting the girl on the head. She flushed, embarrassed. Who would've thought the promise stone that her brother had given her would help them now.

"This is no time for celebration," Vector said, sternly. "Let's go."

The team went on the teleporting device that the apparition floated over. They were conveyed to a lower level and entered another series of teleporting devices on circular platforms. Finally they reached a room that was held up by pillars and had three separate transporters. Vector led them to the one on the left side, which again led them to another series of circular platforms.

Nayeli groaned. "It seems like this place is only made up of these things!"

"Don't you think it's strange that no one has come to greet us yet?" Kish asked, looking around the ever so familiar scenery.

"Maybe they thought we wouldn't get past the ghost back there," Lani suggested.

They entered a door had a small platform that over looked a never-ending abyss.

"A dead end." Derrick said, sighing.

"The lab is down there," Vector said, gazing down. A glisten of light caught his attention and before them appeared the male Wingly they had encountered in the desert. Behind him stood about fifty or so other Winglies. Vector's eyes narrowed. So Faust really was trying to start up an army!

"Well, well, well, you actually showed up," said Lenox, looking at the group of people before him. He noticed that there were two humans among the dragoons. He smirked. The more to kill, the merrier. When his eyes rested on Tristan, they narrowed.

"Kill them all!" He ordered his Wingly subordinates. "But, the one in the dark purple armor is mine!"

The faction of Winglies dispersed and began to attack.

"Spread out, we have to beat them quickly, if we plan on saving our energy for Faust." Derrick said, using his partisan to block an attack.

Crayk wasted no time, and jumped from the crumbling platform onto the chest of one of the Winglies. He grabbed his dagger and stabbed the Wingly in the head, instantly killing him. Using the cadaver as a shield, he blocked several other attacks before hopping to another Wingly and killing him as well. He pulled out several _shuriken_ (throwing stars) that were concealed in his arm guard and threw them, hitting multiple targets.

Lani blocked a fire based attack, with the shield she was given and bashed the Wingly on the head. She pulled out her dagger and attacked and guarded when necessary. The shield was very convenient to have.

"You guys go on ahead. Lani and I will handle these guys!" Crayk hollered as he hopped onto another Wingly.

While the others left to search for Faust, Tristan had his own battle to face. The Wingly that murdered his father stood before him. He would kill the bastard once and for all, and his revenge would be complete. He brandished his rapier and waited for the Wingly to attack him. When the Wingly cast a light-based spell, Tristan dodged the attack. The Wingly then began to quickly fly around, disappearing and reappearing. Tristan closed his eyes and listened, blocking out every other sound, except for the one that he was looking for.

_There!_

He quickly turned around and stabbed his rapier into the Wingly's gut. He stared into the shocked red eyes of the Wingly before him. He would make the murderer remember what he did that night!

"Ten years ago! You burned a mountain village in Serdio!" Tristan pressed his weapon further in. "Remember?!"

"…I've killed many…of you humans. It's what you deserved…after what you did…to my baby sister," he replied. "Why should I care…to remember something that's ten years…old?"

"You killed _many_ innocent people!"

"Humans aren't innocent…" Lenox coughed out blood. "…you all des..erve…to die!"

"You murdered my _**father**_!"

"To bad I didn't… kill you too," the dying Wingly scoffed. He started to laugh maniacally.

The darkness dragoon's eyes narrowed. He pulled out his rapier, and in a quick swing cut off the Wingly's head. He watched as the head dropped into the black abyss below and the slide down after. He heard a low moan from behind him. He turned and saw a Wingly with his eyes rolled back. Crayk's head popped up from behind the Wingly.

"Watch your back!" the bandit teased.

Tristan gave the bandit a look before flying after his fellow dragoons. He found them standing and looking around the vacant room. He flew next to Vector. "Well?"

"So you are all here." The same figure that they had met earlier stood before them. "Crafty humans. I must say that you amazed me with your possession of the Vanishing Stone, but no matter, I was prepared." He turned to the dragoons, and stared at the one dressed in bright blue armor. He smirked. The face was unmistakable; it was much like his own face, just 11,000 or so years younger.

"Vector, what a pleasant surprise," Faust said. "I had expected with that contaminated human blood running through your veins that you would be dead by now. I guess Winglies truly are the superior species."

Vector's eyes flared, emotions began to build up, and he didn't give a _damn_ if he just **exploded**. However, Tristan blocked his way.

"Cut the crap old man! Where's Riza?!"

"Ah, the Moon Child. You will see her shortly. My plans of remobilizing Flanvel Tower and becoming ruler of this world will come to fruition." He gripped his staff. "A new age is about to be ushered in. Join me, become my servants and you will see an era of eternal absolute dominance."

"You're freaking crazy!" Nayeli barked.

Faust looked at her for a moment. "I see. I now understand that you desire a painful, wretched…death. It will be no problem. I'll grant it to you now."

Suddenly four figures dressed in blue hooded robes appeared next to him. Before the dragoons could react, he lifted his staff and a large funnel of swirling wind fell from above, encasing the dragoons in the tornado.

Vector's eyes turned golden, as he summoned an earth-based counter attack. Pellets of surrounded Faust, shooting rays at him, until it finally collided with his body. With the wizard's concentration broken, the spell wore off.

Derrick moved to higher elevation. A storm of rose petals surrounded him.

"Rose Storm!"

The knight directed his partisan forward and to each of his comrades, and high winds moved the corollas around them. It would help them for a while with magical defense.

"Fan out and attack from each side!" Vector ordered. If they all hit Faust consecutively, then the possibility of getting at least one or two attacks would cause some sort of damage.

Faust cast another spell, this time it was light-based. Tristan dodged most of the attack, but couldn't avoid all the rays. He took flew higher into the air, studying his opponent from afar. He would come in when there was an opening.

Vector quickly flew toward Faust and attacked him with his enhanced katana. Weapons clashed, and with his free hand punched the Magician in the face. Faust faltered and he backed away. He turned to Nayeli and nodded.

As Vector retreated, the half-Giganto took over. She charged toward the elderly Wingly. A bombardment of sharp icicles hit her and she shivered. Shaking it off, she zoomed in toward Faust, but again, his speed proved to be victorious. A gust of wind collided with her body before she could even touch him. Her body was bruised, but she got up and charged again: adrenaline and determination driving. The Magician smirked as he caught her fist with his hand, and threw her into the wall.

"You are a persistent one," Faust sneered. "However, dragoon or not, you are still a weak and slow Giganto."

Kish began to shoot multiple arrows at the Magician, who swiftly blocked each one with his staff. "Damn, this guy is fast!" Kish remarked. He noticed that Kylin was now coming in for her wave. He shot another arrow, while Faust was distracted with the young elf. The arrow hit its target…well it missed the head and landed on the shoulder, but it was better than nothing.

He started to summon a spell to heal his wife, when the room suddenly became dark. There was a loud howl, and Kish felt something hit him on his side. He tried to aim his arrow, again he was hit. Again and again, he and his wife were hit multiple times. He stumbled back, holding his injured arm, wishing that Lani and Crayk were there with their potions. He felt weak. He turned to Nayeli, who was being assaulted by one of the hooded men. Kish aimed his arrow but missed. The man and his wife disappeared. The small hooded figure reappeared at Faust's side and handed the Magician a golden stone. Kish stared wide-eyed.

"Oh crap."

He had to get rid of those four hooded men. He took to the sky. Although he was told that magic wouldn't work on Faust, he hoped that it would weaken Faust's minions.

"Spectral Rain!"

He shot an arrow to the ceiling and a storm of colorful lights rained down on his opponent. However the servant's body opened, and the attack was consumed. Inside the whole, a vortex formed and shot out at Kish, blasting the dragoon with his own attack. Kish plummeted to the ground and his body was also consumed by one of the hooded men.

"NO!" Vector yelled. He had told them _not_ to use magic!

It was now Derrick's turn to attack. Although two of his comrades had fallen, he would not be discouraged. His weapon clashed with Faust's staff. With one quick swing, the elderly Wingly pushed him to the side and sent him flying into the wall. Derrick growled and flew in again at top speed. However, a column of rock hit him from above and he fell to the ground. Immediately he was swallowed by one of Faust's minions.

"DERRICK!" Kylin screamed.

Kylin tossed her shield at the aged Magician. It missed him, but hit one of his hooded servants, who fell to the ground and vanished in a puff of smoke. Seeing this, the young girl got an idea. Again she threw her massive shield, this time aiming it at the hooded men. Another vanished. Two down, two to go. However before she could attack again three pillars of ice appeared next to her. The tops of the pillared formed a circle and the middle of the circle filled with suspended water. A giant arrowhead-shaped fraction of ice emerged from the liquid and levitated above the structure. The ice glowed and multiple shards of ice shot at the girl from above. Finally, the arrowhead of ice came down and caused an explosion, knocking Kylin out. The floor opened and ingested the girl.

Vector couldn't believe his eyes. His other comrades had vanished, only leaving _**two**_ dragoons—himself and Tristan. Two dragoons fighting Faust wouldn't be the smartest idea, but it was the only one he had. The sky began to open and a large ball of fire fell on him. Vector cringed. He was tempted to counter that with another magic attack, but he knew the strategy—attack Faust using _physical_ attack. He brandished his enhanced katana and flew towards his 'father'. But before he could even touch the Magician, sparks of lightning began to form around him, flinging him backwards. Vector crashed into one of the stone pillars. He growled. Tristan flew next to him.

"Where the heck were you?"

The darkness dragoon ignored the question, and instead answered him with another. "Got a plan?" he asked eyeing the half-Wingly, who shook his head.

"…no. You?"

Tristan glared at Faust "I might." He wiped some blood from the top of his brow smeared it on his rapier. The blood began to bubble and a crimson version of himself emerged from the sword. "I'll get rid of the two blue guys and distract Faust. If you see an opening, go for it!"

"Bu…" Before Vector could finish, Tristan and his plasma counterpart dived in for the attack.

The two quickly slashed through the minions, killing them; however a ball of energy hit the plasma-Tristan. Ignoring the pain of losing his counterpart, the darkness dragoon began to violently strike Faust with his rapier. He gnashed his teeth, trying to break through the Magician's defense.

While Faust was occupied with the Tristan, Vector quickly flew behind him, ready to make the final blow, when the elderly Wingly vanished. The two dragoons stared at each other in shock.

"You are just too slow," Faust said from above them. "It is about time that I finish this!" He raised his staff to the sky to cast his final spell on them.

Several crucibles that descended from the sky surrounded Vector and Tristan and began to emit rays of light: magenta, turquoise, red, blue, lime, orange, yellow. They spun rapidly around them and converged at the top, until finally the lights fell on the two dragoons.

Tristan fell to the floor; his head hit the ground hard. He felt so weak, so tired. He saw Vector lying on the ground next to him. No, it couldn't end this way. He had to save…

_Riza…_

His head felt heavy and he flinched when blood streamed into his right eye. He tried to move, but he couldn't. When he looked up, all he saw was darkness.

* * *

"…preparations … complete Magician Faust…need …the girl—"

"…girl in machine immediately!"

"Yes sir."

The voices were faint, and he couldn't hear everything. Tristan slowly opened his eyes to find himself bound by his arms and legs to a circular machine. He glanced to the side and noticed that his friends were bound the same way. He tried to remember what happened, but his head hurt, and he felt light-headed. He looked at his imprisoned companions when a thought came to his mind.

_Where the hell were those damn bandits!_

There were only two options: they were dead or they ran away. He cursed inwardly. That was bandits for you!

His heavy eyes meandered around the room. The room was made of stone and domed shaped. There was something large in the distance, but he didn't bother to strain his eyes to see what it was. He looked to his left and saw two Winglies dressed in white coats talking to…Faust! He pulled his arms, and grunted. The Magician looked up and smirked.

"It is about time that you have woken up," the elderly Wingly said, walking towards him.

"Where's Riza!" he barked. His yelling caused the others to stir awake as well.

"The Moon Child is over there."

A green light illuminated, revealing the something in the distance to be a large machine of some sorts. It had a cylinder shaped body with a head looked like something of a cannon, which pointed downwards. A ring circled the device and held each of the seven dragoon spirits. There was a platform that was directly under the head of the machine, which stood a girl dressed in pure white garments. She looked out of it, her head slowly moving back and forth. She looked as if she was about to lose her balance any minute.

Kylin yelled Riza's name. The girl on the platform looked up. Her face was blank, as if her body was just an empty husk.

Tristan's eyes flared. "What the hell did you do to her?!!" He tried to move out of the magical shackles, but he couldn't budge an inch.

"You drugged her…?" Kish looked at Faust, then back at Riza.

The Magician laughed. "I have all that I need." He turned to his prisoners. "Be the first to witness the resurrection of Soa's last creation!"

"You can't do this!" Vector screamed. "All life as we know it will cease to exist!"

"You seem to be unaware that I have power over this girl." Faust said, pulling out a crystal from his pocket. "I created the Moon Crystal for the specific purpose of controlling the Moon Child." He turned to a scientist and nodded. The Wingly scientist flew to the controls, and pulled the lever.

A shaft of light hit each of the dragoon spirits and the orbs floated and formed a circle around Riza. They began to spin rapidly, giving off charges that were used to power the machine. Electrical energy streamed into the large head and a blue surge of energy began to accumulate. A massive beam of light shot down and hit her.

The rope and her clothes disintegrated the instant the ray touched her. Her eyes opened as she felt the power overloading her small frame. The pain was too much, too much for her to handle. She felt as if her body was going to burst! She screamed.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

"The reactor is overheating!" one of the scientists screamed as the controls began to give off smoke.

"RIZAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!"

The small fragments of the Moon That Never Sets surrounded her and the filaments slowly linked together with each other, forming into a large egg around the girl.

_**Sleep child, your time has come to an end...**_

_**

* * *

**_

**Author's** **Notes**: dun, dun, DUN!!!! Oh no! Soul and body are one and Faust is going to conquer the world! o_O Without the dragoon spirits, what will happen? Find out in the next chapter. Hey, you know that feeling of eyestrain due to too much laptop staring and lack of sleep? Yeah, that's how I feel right now. So, now I am going to bed. Nighty night! Don't forget to R&R!


	21. The Destroyer

**Disclaimer**: We all know the drill by now; I don't own Legend of Dragoon.

**Author's Note**: Dragoons are in for it now! Read and see what happens!

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 21**

Her screams were piercing, as the sudden rush of energy overflowed her body. Small fragments of the Moon That Never Sets surrounded her and the filaments began to slowly link together, encasing her in an egg shaped cocoon. The dragoon spirits began to glow and one by one flew toward the shell, forming a tight ring around it.

Then, there was silence. It was as if the whole procedure had come to a permanent hiatus. The Wingly scientist looked at the blank monitor. There was no more power. The electrical cells that ran the machine were fried due to overheating and smoke was streaming out of the control system. Had all those years of work prove to be fruitless?

Suddenly, the chrysalis began to resonate with blue light and there was the sound of a soft pulse.

…_tha-thump…_

_Tha-thump…_

_THA-THUMP!_

The pulse grew louder and louder. Finally, the egg burst, releasing large ripples of blue energy. Immediately, Vector's eyes turned golden. Rocks and minerals emerged from the ground, encasing him and his companions in a protective dome. Wingly scientists and soldiers, who had not prepared themselves, disintegrated when the energy hit them. The blast lasted for several seconds, until there was silence once again. The rock soon ebbed away and Vector sighed, seeing only smoke around them.

"Is everyone alright?"

Their groans and coughs proved that they were indeed alive. However, they were still bond by the shackles that were put upon them. Vector tried to concentrate his energy into his hands and feet, but he felt too weak. The shield he had created took a lot out of him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that they weren't the only ones who survived the sudden outburst. Faust and several other Winglies survived as well, with a shield of light protecting them. He groaned internally, wishing they had died in the blast.

When the smoke finally cleared, there stood a creature like none they had ever seen before. Its large body took up over half of the space of the room. It had the head, arms, and torso of a woman—white, grainy skin covered in green tattoos and ebony hair. The lower half of its body was like that of a dragon, with shiny black scales, four extra appendages, and a long tail protruding from the derrière. Seven pairs of wings ran down her back—two for every dragoon spirit that she wore around her neck. Her eyes were like that of sapphire stones as they gazed at the surviving individuals.

"_**I am Kazic, the 108**__**th**__** species birthed by the Divine Tree."**_ There was an echo in her voice, two different sounds—one sounded motherly and calm while the other was authoritative and sonorous. _**"I have come to cleanse this world of all its malice. You Winglies and humans have tried to evade the will of the Creator, but no one can escape what has already been deemed for them. Finally, Soa's fate can be accomplished!"**_

The thunder dragoon spirit glowed. She raised her hands into the air and an electrical pellet formed. It fired at the ceiling, creating a hole to the outside. Cold air immediately rushed into the room. She was about to fly away when she cringed. She looked down and her eyes flared.

"Virage Embryo! I am your master and you will do as I say!" Faust cried, holding the Moon Crystal in his right hand. He raised his staff and a large ball of fire fell on the creature.

Rage filled Kazic's blue eyes. _**"How **_**dare**_** you!"**_ Before her mission can start, she would have to get rid of this Wingly!

**------**

"Are you sure they're down here?" Lani asked stepping over the body of a dead Wingly soldier. She looked around the dust filled room. "I don't see anyone."

"They have to be," the former bandit leader replied. "They flew down here. And I knew I heard something…" He squatted down, trying to see if there was any clue of the dragoons' whereabouts. There were bloodstains everywhere, debris, and several indents on the walls. He prayed that Kylin was okay. He turned when he noticed a trail of blood that seemed to lead to a particular side of the room. He followed it and began to knock on the wall. He gasped.

_Hollow!_

He pushed the wall, and it began to move, revealing a long coiled staircase. He ushered Lani over and the two furtively walked down. When they heard voices, they took cover against one of the pillars that held the lower roof of the room. Lani squatted down and peered over. The air was filled with dust which made it difficult to see. She slowly walked down, hugging the railing.

"Over there!" Lani whispered. She tugged on Crayk's shirt and pointed to several circular contrivances.

He picked up a jagged rock from the ground and began to sharpen his dagger. "See any enemies?"

Her eyes shot back and forth. "I only see…11, 12…16 of them. Wait there's something else..." She squinted and saw what looked like to be a large creature of some sorts. "What the hell is that thing?"

His ears perked up. "What's what?"

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter, it's being occupied right now." She looked up at him. "Got a plan?"

Crayk opened a bottle of healing fog and inhaled it. He could feel his cuts and bruises sting, and begin to numb. He watched as the gash on his left arm began heal. He gave the rest of the bottle to Lani, who drank the contents. "I kill the bad guys, you set our buddies free and then we get the heck out of here! Sound good to you?" He handed grabbed a handful of attacking items and stuffed them into his shirt before giving the sack to Lani. "Heal them if you can, too."

They immediately set their plan into motion. Crayk scuttled behind one Wingly soldier, and slit his throat. Seeing their fallen comrade, the other Winglies retaliated. He back-flipped and threw an attack item. A blizzard of frost surrounded the group encasing them in ice. He slashed through the ice statues. Four down. He somersaulted as he dodged a fireball coming his way, and threw several _shuriken_.

Sensing someone behind him, he immediately turned around and came face to face with a female Wingly. He parried a bit, but her blade pierced his left side. He stumbled and began to move side to side, trying to avoid being struck again. He placed his dagger in front of his face, blocking her attack.

"How about I take out that other eye of yours?" Lohita sneered. She leaned in, trying to break through his defense, but he wouldn't budge. She raised her other hand, about to cast a spell, when he head-butted her. She staggered, caressing her forehead.

The bandit smirked. "Sorry, but you aren't my type." He threw several stars to create a diversion, aimed his dagger and…

Bull's-eye!

The thin blade found its way to the female Wingly's head and she fell to the ground, dead. He turned and saw more Winglies coming his way. He groaned.

------

While her friend kept the enemies occupied, Lani ran to the imprisoned dragoons. However she was greeted by a stray soldier who had noticed her. As soon as he began to move his arms, she raised her Magical Shield, which blocked the attack. She then charged at the stunned Wingly and stabbed him in the neck.

"Lani!" Kylin called.

"It's about damn _time_!" Tristan scoffed. "Where the hell were you?"

Ignoring his snide comment, the female bandit went behind Kylin, and noticed a switch that was glowing green. She shrugged, and flipped the switch. It turned red and the magical bands around the young elf's arms and legs opened. Green on, red off…made sense. After she had freed the rest of them, Crayk caught up with them. With their immediate threat dealt with, Lani thought it was a good time as any to ask:

"What the hell is that thing?" She pointed to the giant creature that was battling the elderly Wingly she had seen before.

"It's Riza!" Kylin cried, almost bursting into tears.

Crayk looked at the creature. "For real…?"

"…the god of destruction…" Vector said somberly. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. The body and the soul of the Virage Embryo had now merged, ushering an epoch of destruction! He couldn't take his eyes off the creature. It just felt all too surreal.

A ball of energy came flying their way and they scattered. The effect of the blast sent them flying across the room.

Faust lay on the ground, breathing heavily. He was battered and weak, but refused to give in. He had waited too long for this moment. He raised his hand again, and the Moon Crystal began to glow, but it seemed to have no effect on the Virage Embryo. It was as if she had somehow evolved and become immune to its power. He flew and dodged another one of her attacks.

"_**You think you can control me?"**_Kazic positioned her hand in front of Faust.

"_**I am grateful for your services in creating this body for me, but now you are no longer needed." **_

The earth spirit glowed and vines sprouted from the earth and encased the weakened Magician. He grunted, and tried to break free with his magic, but to no avail. Kazic's arm morphed into a scythe, and in one swift motion decapitated the infamous Magician.

They all stared, wide-eyed, in disbelief.

"_**Such a sad, pathetic little man. Now my time has come…"**_

Tristan growled and ran toward the Virage Embryo. He was going to snap Riza out of this 'destroy the world' phase!

"RIZA!" he cried. He screamed her name loudly. He wanted her to hear him. Soa, please, let her hear him!

Kazic looked down at the boy. _**"You cannot reach her. She is inside."**_ Her hand moved to her bare chest. _**"Now witness Soa's will be executed."**_ She took flight and exited out of the opening she had created before.

* * *

A refreshing cool breeze hit his chest as he entered the city of Deningrad. He hadn't been here in such a long time, but everything was more or less the same. He looked up at the newly repaired Crystal Palace, remembering the adventures that he and his comrades had. Ah, to be young again!

Dart walked down the path that led to the palace. Although he had promised to let Riza do things on her own, he couldn't help but feel protective. Checking up to see if she had made it this far wasn't bad, was it? Besides, he just wanted to see an old friend. At least, that was the excuse he planned to give if he happened to run into her. Not that he _needed_ an excuse. She was his daughter after all! It was his _right_! Fathers don't need excuses to check on their daughters. As long as she remained under his roof, she was his responsibility. Then again, she was nowhere near home…agh _that_ didn't matter! He sighed.

_There's no need to worry, _he told himself. _Riza is __**fine**__. She is with Tristan and Derrick is looking out for her, as well. Besides, she has the dragoon spirit._

Still Dart couldn't help _but_ worry. She was all he had.

The castle guards allowed him passage, and he went up to the throne room, and greeted Queen Theresa. He bowed low before the female monarch, showing his respect/ She was pleased by his visit, but Miranda looked at him skeptically, releasing his intentions.

"They are only missing the fire spirit," the First Sacred Sister remarked, with her arms folded. The Queen looked at her, slightly puzzled by her comment.

He nodded, understanding. Good, at least his daughter had made it this far. He was about to ask her about his daughter's whereabouts when suddenly, the room began to shake. A loud explosion was heard from the top of the palace and the floor below them began to collapse. "What the…?"

Miranda ran toward her foster mother, before that part of the room fell into the streets below. Screams were heard from outside. Dart and Miranda looked out the newly created hole to see what was the matter. The sky was blanketed in a thick dark cloud and the townspeople below were being assaulted by hundreds of black…

_Dragons..?_

The First Sacred Sister turned to one of the guards. "You! Go outside and evacuate the people. Help them in any way you can!"

"Yes ma'am!"

She turned to another guard. "You will escort the Queen to a safer place underground. Now hurry!" She turned to Dart, who nodded and leaped out the 'window'. She grabbed for her bow and arrow and headed outside to help the citizens.

There was a bright flash of light and Dart was clothed in a silver heavy suit of armor, that was about twice his actual size. Six majestic wings protruded from his back, and his arms formed into weapons: one a cannon and the other a sword. He flapped his wings and hovered over the castle. He identified the dark cloud in the sky to be a congregation of dragons. His eyes narrowed as he sensed the dragon's power. The armor on his right shoulder lifted.

"Divine Dragon Ball!"

Hundreds of flares repeatedly shot out of his shoulder and flew into the throng. Immediately the rockets combusted and killed the some of the creatures. He heard laughter, and the dragons soon parted, revealing a large creature, that had the top of a woman and the lower body of a dragon. Dart readied himself, not knowing what was to come.

"Who are you?" he called out at the creature. He eyed her for a moment, and noticed seven different colored orbs around her neck. He raised a brow.

_Are those…?_

"_**I am Kazic, the destroyer."**_ She noticed the large dragon eye on his chest_**. "It seems that I have missed one of the spirits…No matter. Children, dispose of this nuisance." **_However the miniature dragons were quickly destroyed with one sling of the dragoon's gargantuan sword. Kazic scowled as she dodged a powerful stream of energy that came her way. Indeed this dragoon in front of her was _much_ stronger than the rest. If he was added to her collection that was needed to create this body, she would've surely been invincible! He aimed his cannon at her, again. She would have to use _other_ methods to defeat him.

"Father, wait!"

Dart paused, as the familiar voice rang in his ears. He gazed at the creature, whose chest began to effervesce and there emerged the head and torso of an unclothed a young girl. The girl's head was drooped down slightly, as if she was asleep and short brown hair covered a part of her face. Dart's eyes widened.

"RIZA?!"

"_**You would not want to harm your daughter, would you?" **_Kazic sneered as she watched Dart's face grow white.

He stared at the sleeping girl. _Riza…_

She was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be with friends. She was supposed to be…

His eyes turned red with anger and rage.

"LET HER GO!" he yelled. Who was this 'Kazic' that held his daughter? He charged at demi-dragon and swung his blade at her, forming a deep gash on the side of her face. Dart eyes narrowed, but Kazic only smiled. The skin surrounding the cut slowly began to converge, until the gash was completely healed. He scowled. That wasn't good, if the opponent had a built-in healing factor. However, he watched in horror as the same wound appeared on Riza's face, on the exact place that he had attack the monster! Blood began to stream down the girl's cheek, but she seemed unfazed by the injury, as if she was just an empty husk. His eyes widened. The creature was transferring its own injuries to his daughter!

_No…_

Taking his hesitation as an opportunity, Kazic created a whirlwind of ice and shot it at the stunned dragoon. She then grabbed him and threw him into Flanvel Tower.

He fell through several stories, until he finally could gain some control of his speed and landed on some leveled ground. He growled as his blood began to boil, yearning to release an attack. He refused to let this creature use his daughter as some pawn in its sick game! "Give me back my daughter! If you don't want to _die_, you will do as I say!"

Kazi hovered over the injured man. _**"Every attack you inflict on me will end up on **_**her**_** body. If you try to kill me, you will kill her in the process!" **_she reminded him, with a smirk on her face.

Dart clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. _Damn!_ Anything he did would _hurt_ Riza—his only child. His only…

_I'm sorry Shana. I couldn't protect her…_

No! He couldn't give up hope. He didn't give up when he found out the Shana was the Moon Child that gave birth to the god of destruction. He didn't give up when he realized that he would have to take up arms against her. No, instead he said:

_I will save Shana no matter what!_

He would do the same for his daughter.

"Stay strong for me, Riza! Don't give up." he cried, aiming his cannon at Kazic. "I'm sorry." He could feel the power of the divine dragon flow through his veins. "DIVINE DRAGON CANNON! WAHH!!!!" A large concentration of energy shot out of his arm, hitting the unprepared target.

Kazic stared at the dragoon in disbelief. He had actually hit her, even though he knew it would harm his daughter!_** "Foolish creature! The child's soul is one with mine. If you hurt me, you hurt her as well!" **_ She flew to a higher elevation. Despite her threat, Kazic knew that her host couldn't sustain anymore attacks. She _needed_ Riza in order to survive, otherwise she was done for. However, if the girl appeared to be severely hurt, her father would think twice before attack with that giant weapon of his! Again she transferred some of her injuries to the girl, but none of the acute ones—her body wasn't able to handle that.

Dart cringed as he watched more wounds appear on Riza's body. The blood just kept flowing. He knew that if he tried again, he would surely kill her. He had to back off for a bit. It broke his heart to see her like this, but he wasn't going to lose her! No, not like how he had lost Shana all those years ago…

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time for that now. He wondered if it had anything to do with the dragoon spirits that were sported around the creature's neck. He had remembered seeing the blue one glow just before he was attacked. Could they perhaps hold the key?

"Mr. Feld?!"

The familiar voice broke his train of thought. He turned and saw Tristan, Derrick and several others running towards him. He glanced up at the creature, who just lingered above him. It wasn't doing much of anything, probably still shocked that he had attacked it earlier. It bought him some time to find the answers he was looking for.

Dart glared at the young black haired boy. "What _happened_?" His voice was that of a low growl.

Tristan froze for a moment. He hesitated as he tried to fumble for words. "Mr. Feld…I…I couldn't…Riza…" He put his head down. There was so much he wanted to say, but he could find the right words. He wasn't strong enough to protect her, to prevent her kidnapping. He couldn't save and watched helplessly as she turned into a monster.

Derrick stepped in, to his rescue. "Mr. Feld, none of us saw this coming. It was this lack of understanding and knowledge that led to this dilemma. We want to help in any way we can; however our dragoon spirits were stolen to create that creature."

"That man is scary…" Kylin whispered.

"I'm going to assume that he is Riza's _father_." Crayk said, eyeing the majestic dragoon in front of him.

Vector looked at Dart, who didn't seem at all satisfied with Derrick's reason. The father and daughter resemblance wasn't obvious—this man had hazel eyes and dirty blond hair, unlike Riza's brown hair and eyes. However they both emitted this certain _presence_. He didn't know how to explain it, but it was much like the feeling he had when he first met Zieg. It was an aura that was authoritative, but also youthful and slightly naïve. However, he couldn't help but feel slightly fearful of the large enraged dragoon. "Excuse me, sir? If you could just hear me out…"

"What?" the king of dragoons asked coldly, turning to the silver haired man. "Can you give me a better explanation as to what happened and how that _**thing**_ has my daughter?"

"Yes, I can." Vector replied, confidently. "As strange as it may sound, your daughter is what is known as the Moon Child." He watched as Dart opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't. "It is true that it was your wife that was the original host of the Virage Embryo; but I believe that the soul moved into your daughter after your wife died. It is possible that it saw a chance to join with its body through Riza. However someone else knew about the new host of the Virage Embryo, and schemed to use the dragoon spirits as a power source to create a new body for the god of destruction. That man is Magician Faust."

Dart closed his eyes, digesting everything what the man said in. It was true that during his fight with Melbu Frahma that his father and Rose had only destroyed the Moon that Never Sets, the body of the Virage Embryo—leaving Shana, the soul, to live in peace. He hadn't expected that the soul would be such a threat. "Where is this Magician now?"

"Dead," Tristan managed to say.

Dart rolled his eyes. "Great…" Still, there seemed like a way to save Riza. "You say that that thing is powered by the dragoon spirits?"

Vector nodded. "However, the Virage Embryo has powers of its own."

"I know." Dart replied, remembering Shana's abilities. "You all distract it while I try to get the spirits."

Nayeli turned to Vector. "You think could give me a boost?"

He looked at her with a puzzled look for a moment. Then understanding, he nodded. He took her hand and levitated her toward Virage Embryo. She jumped and grabbed for the long black tail. She pulled with all her might, causing a very surprised Kazic to collide with the ground. The floor shook and crack at the heavy weight.

Tristan, who had found his rapier earlier, began to attack as well—slashing the large black mass, back and forth, but to no avail. It seemed like he wasn't causing any damage, not even a scratch!

Kazic moved her large tail to try to knock them down, but Nayeli and Tristan jumped out of the way. Kish shot an arrow at one of the dragoon spirits, but the destroyer had already disintegrated it before it could touch her. Derrick charged his staff into one of Kazic's white finger.

The girl on the creature's chest screamed in pain. Dart gasped.

_Damnit! That didn't happen before!_

Kazic growled. She didn't want to have to do that—causing the soul of the girl to feel the actual pain of the body—but it stopped the attack. They had become a thorn on her side, especially the one in the dragoon armor—the girl's father. He was a _huge_ threat! However, as long as she showed the human girl to them, they were hesitant to attack her. These lesser creatures were petty and weak, for they gave easily to their emotions. They would rather not see their loved one get hurt, than to sacrifice one for the good of many.

It was about time that she got rid of them, once and for all. The fire spirit glowed, and she extended her arm, ready to unleash an attack. But none came. She felt a pain, as if a spark of electrical energy paralyzed the nerves in her hands. She couldn't summon the attack. What was wrong? Was it the dragoon spirits reacting to protect their masters? Or was it perhaps…?

_The girl!_

Was it possible that the host was trying to fight from within? No, it couldn't be. The child was supposed to be asleep, and protecting…

Kazic tried to do it again, but this time there was an even stronger pull. She cringed at the pain. A sense of uneasiness surrounded the destroyer. She had truly underestimated the power of the human girl.

She still needed to deal with the dragoon and the other species below. Their interference in her quest of total destruction infuriated her and she wanted to get rid of them completely, but her murderous thoughts could not be put into action. She tried to silence the girl's soul, concentrating a piece of energy to weaken her—the girl was only human, after all. Then she stopped. If she changed her focus, the enemy below would notice. Fine, if she couldn't kill them, then she would have to settle for the next best thing.

The Virage Embryo took to higher elevation and began to summon a spell. She closed her eyes and muttered something in an unknown tongue. The green tattoos on her face, arms and torso began to glow and she emitted a blue light that encased Flanvel Tower. She smirked as the people below her stood helpless and unaware of what was happening.

Soon she would be able to carry out her plans without their meddling. After all, they would all be in the land of dreams…

-----

"_Tristan! Wake up."_

_He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head. He looked at the black haired woman before him. Her warm brown eyes softened and she smiled._

"_It's about time you woke up." She pulled his sheets, and the teenage boy cringed at as the cold air hit his bare legs. He playfully glared at her, and she laughed at his reaction. He sat up and touched his forehead._

"_Mom, I had the strangest dream…"_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note**: I was watching the ending LOD and was like, wow, the divine dragoon armor is freaking HUGE! He could like eat Shana! How does someone navigate in that thing? Who knows!

My younger sister is complaining that I am not spending enough quality time with her cuz I'm writing this fanfic. How can I balance my responsibilities as a big sister and still write?! Oh, the humanity! lol Will the dragoons be able to get out of their comatose state? R&R to find out!


	22. Illusions of the Heart

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Legend of Dragoon. Period. Nothing on God's green earth is ever going to change that fact.

**Author's Note**: Dreams, dreams, I have so many dreams for all the world to see. Dreams, dreams, I have so many dreams, but for now I'm glad to be me…

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 22**

_Nayeli walked over to the mirror, looking at her side profile. She rubbed her protruding belly and smiled. Soon her first __**child**__ would be born, and she couldn't help but feel excited. But in the midst of it all she still hadn't come up with a name. Kish had recommended that the name be a mixture of theirs. She thought that was a foolish idea. Honestly, what name (__**good**__ name to be exact) could emerge from the combination? She rolled her eyes at the thought and glanced back to the mirror. She was thinking along the lines of…_

"_Cole."_

_Yeah, that name sounded nice. Or maybe even 'Kori' if it was a girl. _

_Nayeli hobbled over to the rocking chair and flopped herself on the seat. She sighed. She had better tell Kish the names before she forgot, or before he offered any more strange suggestions._

_

* * *

_

_The tropical heat caused him to sweat with every arrow that he released. However, he wanted to get some more practice in before dinner. He placed another one on the string. Aimed. Fire! The long thin missile meticulously hit the target, breaking through his previous arrow. _

"_Wow, Kish you are so good!" _

_Kish turned to see a young woman run up to him. The light of the setting sun highlighted every feature and every curve of her body. She was smiling widely and her brown hair bounced in the wind with every step she took on the sandy shore. He put his bow down as she embraced him._

"_Dinner's ready." She snuggled her head against his chest. "…I love you," she whispered._

_His eyes softened as he stared down at his wife. "I love you, too, Rachel…"_

"_I married a very __**strong**__ man!" Rachel said, smiling to herself. She playfully punched his chest and looked up at him. "Could you teach me?"_

_He nodded, picked up the bow from the hot sand, and handed it to her. She tried to imitate his stance as she aimed at the target._

"_Hold on. Keep your shoulders in alignment with the target," he instructed. "Yes, like that. Now be sure to keep both eyes open…"_

_

* * *

_

_"Ti's wsnoing, ti's wsnoing_

_Lal veor hte aplce_

_Hewn I oolk up_

_It lfals in my acfe..."_

_The child hummed as she walked along the path in the forest. She drew back her head and opened her mouth, allowing the snowflakes to fall on her tongue. She giggled as the cold particles melted on contact. It was noon and despite the cold weather the warm rays of the sun radiated down to the forest._

_Kylin skipped down the path back home. Lunch time was approaching, and she didn't want to miss it. As she approached her home deep within the forest, she heard a faint sound of voices from behind her. Her large ears perked up, and she turned to the direction where the voices were coming from. She debated on whether or not to let her curiosity get the best of her. In the end, she decided against it. She didn't want her mother to worry if she was late. _

_With her mind made up, Kylin continued to skip until she could smell the food. She broke out into a run. Lunch was definitely going to be good today!_

_

* * *

_

_The raid was successful that day. The desert heat hit his brow and he wiped off the sweat. He was rather exhausted and he stumbled into the bandit hideout that was located in the uninhabited Home of the Giganto. He directed his subordinates to the storage place, as he was greeted by those who didn't come on the mission. All the bandits surrounded him, giving him pats on the back and cheering about having a party that night. But there was still one smiling face that he hadn't seen yet…_

"_Big brother!"_

_Crayk was tackled to the ground as his younger sister's body collided with his own. He coughed, trying to breathe as her knee was pressed against his chest. "Aria…" Noticing this, the young female laughed._

"_Oops. Sorry about that." She got off of her brother and helped him up. "Did you get anything good today?" _

_The teenage bandit leader dusted himself off. "Hm…well not really, but I did find this!" A pulled out __oval shaped aquamarine gemstone that hung on a golden chain. He dangled the necklace in front of his sister's astonished face. "You like?"_

"_It's so pretty!" The fourteen year old girl said. _

_He placed the necklace over Aria's head and moved her black hair out of the way. "Then it's yours." He put his hands on his hips. "Now I hope you made some good dinner for us." _

_Aria nodded, gleefully. _

_Crayk loved to see her healthy and perky. It was necessary to have someone like that especially in his line of work, to keep everyone sane. Not only that, she was all he had left of his family. _

_In everyone's excitement, they didn't notice the hooded figure that stood in the distance, staring at them. _

_

* * *

_

"_Lani, could you get some water from the well?" _

"_Alright!" _

_The fourteen year old girl took the bucket from the back of their cottage and went over to the well in the center of town. As Lani approached the well, she couldn't help but get the feeling that she shouldn't go there. But why? She and her family needed the water. She glanced up and noticed a hooded figure sitting on the brim of the well. _

"_Hello?" the girl called. _

_It didn't respond, but disappeared, becoming one with the wind. _

_Lani blinked and stared at the spot where the stranger sat. "Did I imagine that?" She moved closer cautiously and touched the air by the well. Nothing. She shrugged, attached the rope to the bucket and dropped it in the well._

_SLASH!_

_

* * *

_

_The location was the fortified town of Hoax. It used to be a peaceful town; however war had a strange way of changing things. Nobody wanted it, but it just couldn't be helped. The Kingdom of Basil was at war with the Imperial Sandora and it had spread all over Serdio. Emperor Doel was becoming more and more aggressive, especially attacking Seles, which was, although toward the south, part of Basil territory. _

_Despite that, Basil was winning the war. The knights were already making their way to Kazas, the capital of Sandora, and were cornering it from all angles. It was only a matter of hours before the civil war was over. The Sandorans claimed that they had a 'Dragon', but that was just their tactic to try to strike fear in the hearts of Basil knights; however that didn't work. Dragons were only a myth._

_Derrick leaned against the wall in the cabin, next to a young brown haired female, who looked to be about his age. She apparently was a friend the head of the First Knighthood, who was now taking guard position in the back gate with a red armored warrior. Still, a woman shouldn't be in a battle line. He sighed. He wanted to be out there fighting like the rest of the knights, but they said he was too young. He was supposed to defend the girl, if something bad happened. Yippee…_

Seventeen isn't that young! _he argued internally._

_He glanced at his elder brother, Morgan, who was putting on his armor. His shift was coming up to guard the front gate. Derrick's eyes softened. He couldn't help but feel a little scared for his brother's life. He knew he shouldn't worry—he never worried like this before. So why is he...?_

"_Morgan, please let me come with you!" he begged._

_Morgan shook his head. "You're too young. Besides it isn't my call to position you anywhere, you __**know**__ that, Rick." He watched as his brother lowered his head. He sighed and placed his hand on Derrick's shoulder. "The Sandorans would never come near the fort. The walls are too strong for them to break down. So don't worry." With that, Morgan left for his post._

_Derrick knew that he had nothing to worry about when it came to the walls of Hoax. Maybe he was just being too anxious because this was a war after all. _

_The nocturnal owls hooted in the night, claiming that there were no enemies in the forest as of yet. Derrick lazily glanced to the open door and saw a hooded figure standing there._

"_Who are you? How did you get in here?" he asked, getting up from his seat. He brandished his spear. "Are you an enemy soldier?" _

_However, the hooded figure disappeared. _

What was that…?

* * *

Kazic sneered as she gazed at her victims. They were being drawn into the dreams that she had created for them. Still, she couldn't help but scowl. That accursed human was trying to interfere. The human was casting doubts in the minds or her family and friends so they could see the truth. However, no one would _want_ to get out of the reality that they were entangled in. As long as these lesser creatures thought would've, should've, could've, they were trapped in their fantasies. But it didn't hurt to be cautious.

She closed her eyes and channeled her energy to where she had placed the girl's actual soul. The energy formed into a figure of herself and she walked to the imprisoned human. The girl's soul sat alone in a black abyss in the back or the destroyer's mind, where she cannot see or hear anything. Despite that fact, she always kept interfering!

"_**Riza…"**_ Kazic cooed to the absentminded girl.

Riza opened her eyes halfway and shifted them to where the voice was coming from. She didn't answer.

Kazic narrowed. _**"Don't think I don't know what you are trying to do, little human. It won't work. Try to save your energy for something more useful."**_

Again the girl said nothing.

"_**My patience for you is wearing thin, child!" **_Kazic grabbed her by the neck and raised her to the air. _**"I have no further use for you. As long as I have your flesh, your friends won't touch me! I should just kill you right now…"**_

"But you _won't_," Riza stated plainly, speaking for the first time. "A soul can live without the body, but a body can't live without the soul. If you kill me, my body will just disintegrate and what will _protect_ your he…agh!" She struggled to breathe as her counterpart's strong grip squeezed her neck.

Kazic growled after hearing the girl's words, but she knew she was right. That girl knew too much for her own good. She threw her host's soul to the ground. _**"What you are doing is pointless."**_

"If you thought it was so 'pointless', you wouldn't have wasted your time to come see me, now would you?"

_SLAP!!!_

"_**Shut up."**_

_**

* * *

**_

"…_and the project for the upper level is almost complete. However one of the slaves got caught in one of the machinery and ripped in two. I sent a cleanup crew to get rid of the mess before your arrival. However, we'll need to find a new replacement for the slave quickly." Vector looked through the papers in his hands, after finishing his report. He turned and looked at his father, when he noticed the elderly Wingly clapping._

"_Good report. I'll be sure to send Nel to the slave market to get some more." Faust said. "Come, there's something I want to give you." They both walked to the teleporting device. _

"…_Y-you don't have…"_

"_Being humble isn't really becoming of you, my son." Faust remarked. "Just follow me." _

_Vector obeyed and silently walked behind his father. His eyes drifted to the slaves working below. As a Wingly, he didn't have to suffer like the humans did. They were the lesser species and needed to be control. It was the Winglies right to reign supreme over the humans—they were barbaric and he had seen that sort of nature with his own eyes. As he continued onward, he noticed a hooded figure—a slave that wasn't working. When he was about to shot at the human, it disappeared, as if it was never there in the first place. He shook his head, ignoring what he saw, and continued to tail his father._

_When Faust stopped in front of Vector's room, the younger Wingly was puzzled._

"_Father…?"_

_Faust didn't answer him, but only snapped his fingers, calling a guard over. The guard nodded and came with a human female. She was thrown to the ground. _

"_It's a gift, for all your hard work. I'm sure you two will have a grand time." _

"_Thank you." Vector said. He turned to the girl on the ground. "Raise you head." _

_The human slave did as she was told and slowly raised her head. Her black hair concealed most of her face, but he could see her large, fearful oval brown eyes and the mucus flowing from her nose. The sight was rather repulsing, Vector almost pitied the creature. _

_Suddenly, her brown eyes turned blue and black hair was replaced with scarlet mane. He felt a chill run down his spine when those cerulean orbs stared into his own. The girl glared at him with the dirtiest look he had ever seen. That was to be expected—it was only natural for the humans to dislike their Wingly masters. Still, she was bold to do it so openly. Did she not fear punishment?_

_Vector couldn't help but turn away. Those eyes made him feel squeamish, out of place, yet despite all that, they felt strangely familiar… _

_Then the image vanished. _

_He stepped back and glanced at the woman once more. She was back to the black hair and brown eyed girl—nothing like the fiery red hair and the piercing blue eyes he saw just for that split second. What had just happened then? _

"_Is something the matter?" his father asked, placing his hand on Vector's shoulder. He noticed that his son was staring at the female slave for a long time. "Does the human displease you?"_

_Vector looked up, breaking out of his trance. "…Not particularly, no." He thought a moment. Perhaps she was a slave he wanted to lie with. Something about the woman had intrigued him; though he wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He didn't want to be picky—his father was giving him a gift after all. Still, it didn't hurt to ask:_

"_Are there any blue eyed, red haired female humans here?" _

_Faust cocked a single white brow and smirked. "I didn't know you had a preference. You should've told me sooner." He turned to the guard. "You there! Go to the subbasement and see if there are any women that fit my son's description."_

_"Yes, sir!" _

_

* * *

_

"_Alright, that seems to be everything." Dart looked over the filled cart one more time. "Come on boys, it's almost time to go." _

_Two teenage boys sauntered out of the house. They both had dirty blond hair, and hazel eyes, and were tall, much like their father. The older one, Lavitz, was mumbling to himself as he was reading a book. The younger one, Lucas, tilted his head so he could read the title._

"_**History of Endiness**__—Nothing like world history to help calm the nerves, is there?" Lucas stated out loud. _

"_I need to be sure that I have this memorized, especially if I want to be a candidate for Minister of Foreign Affairs!" Lavitz snapped at his twin brother. "What about you? Shouldn't you be studying as well since you want to be Minister of Trade?"_

"_I had finished that book months ago," the younger brother bragged, throwing his arms behind his head. "This is what you get for leaving everything to last minute."_

"_Last minute? Don't act so lackadaisical, Lucas. King Albert's court doesn't accept lazy people…"_

_Dart sighed. Once those two started arguing, they just never stopped. Still, they were good kids. They were scholarly. They were obedient. They were everything that a father could ever want. _

_He walked over to Shana, who was standing at the entrance of their home. _

"_Are you sure you don't want to come?" he asked, giving her a kiss on the head. _

"_No, it's alright," she replied, smiling. "This way you three can have some father-son bonding time."_

_Dart rolled his eyes. He begged to differ. He glanced at Shana. Despite the smile on her face, there was something sad in her eyes. _

"_What's wrong?" he asked. She looked up at him and sighed._

"_I love our boys, but sometimes I wish we had a little girl as well. That way I could show her my flowers." She laughed a little. "The boys were so engulfed in their studies. They remind me of Albert sometimes." _

_Dart nodded slightly. Something had happened during the labor of the twins that caused Shana to become infertile. Although he didn't mind the absence of a daughter, he did believe that having a little girl around might have loosened his sons' serious attitude. There were also times that he wished that he was able to teach them swordplay, but the boys were never interested. They saw it as unnecessary and too brutal. _

_After everything was packed, the three of them headed to Indels Castle. A couple of hours later, they entered the busied capital, Bale. As his sons hurried into the castle to go about their business, Dart couldn't help shake the feeling that he was being watched. His eyes narrowed and he turned around. For a split second he could've sworn he saw a cloaked figure; however when he blinked, the person vanished. He blinked a few more times, but still there was nothing. Was he imagining that? He shook his head and was about to walk away when he noticed the sound of swords clashing. It was coming from where the cloaked figure had stood. It was the Indels Castle training facility._

_Dart walked to the entrance to get a closer look. There seemed to be a match between two fellow knights. He smiled as he watched the two. He had really wished that his sons had become knights, instead of scholar—but it was their dream, not his. An image suddenly appeared in his mind. There was a young girl, sixteen or seventeen perhaps, who stood there as if she had just been victorious in a fight. Her face was bruised, her nose was streaming blood and she was breathing heavily. However despite her battered up appearance, she looked happy. She sighed, and ran her fingers through her short brown hair, revealing her face._

_His eyes widened._

Shana…? No…but who is…?

"_Father? Are you alright?" _

_The image disappeared. Dart turned to see his son Lavitz, who was looking at him with a cocked brow. The father shook his head, but couldn't help glancing back at the training facility. Standing there and leaning on the wall seemed so familiar to him, as if it had happened before. And who was that girl that he saw that looked like Shana? _

"_Is something the matter?" the boy asked, noticing his father's troubled face. _

"_No…it's nothing," Dart replied, touching his head. "I just need a little rest." _

"_Then let's go inside and have you sleep in one of the guest rooms." He led his father to one of an elaborate visitor's room and laid the older man on the bed. "Feel better soon." And with that, Lavitz left._

_Dart sighed and stared at the wall absent-mindedly. He couldn't get the image of that battered up girl from his head. She looked very similar to his wife, but something about her reminded him of someone else. His curiosity gnawed at him. Who was this girl, anyway? _

_A name flashed his mind._

Riza…

_Was that the girl's name? For some reason, he couldn't help feeling annoyed and disappointed when he looked at the injured girl after she won her fight. He didn't understand why, but he did. It wasn't like he knew her, or she was his…_

_Dart shook his head. The idea of him having a daughter was starting to get to him, that's all. At least, that was what he told himself. _

"_Riza…"_

_The name flowed right out of his mouth, as if he was used to saying it often. But he wasn't. He had never heard of the name until now. He never had a daughter named 'Riza'. He had twin boys, Lavitz and Lucas. He remembered when they were born, their first words, everything… Why was he suddenly questioning it now? _

_He groaned and pulled the sheets over his head. In a few days he would be home and there would be no doubts in his mind whatsoever!_

_

* * *

_

"_Tristan! Wake up."_

_He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head. He looked at the black haired woman before him. Her warm brown eyes softened and she smiled._

"_It's about time you woke up." She pulled his sheets, and the teenage boy cringed at as the cold air hit his bare legs. He playfully glared at her, and she laughed at his reaction. He sat up and touched his forehead._

"_Mom, I had the strangest dream…" Tristan closed his eyes, trying to see if he could recall the mental images; but no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't remember. Noticing that she wasn't paying attention, he decided to drop the subject. It doesn't make conversation if you couldn't even remember the dream. He got out of his bed and went to fetch a tunic from the closet and put it over his head. He grabbed for some pants and put those on as well. His mother held a shallow water-filled bowl toward his face. "Thanks," he said, splashing the cold liquid on his face. _

"_Could you at least try to wear something nicer today?" his mother asked, looking at her son's plan attire. _

_Tristan cocked a brow. "Why? I always wear this."_

_She let a sigh. "That's the point. You __**always**__ wear that!" She pushed her son aside and began to rummage through his clothes. She pulled out __a sleeveless jacket that ran all the way to his hips. "Here, wear this today. I made this for an occasion such as this. And maybe we could find a better pair of pants. Those have holes… "_

"_Mom, what is up with this? I'm __**fine**__."_

_She stopped and looked up at him. "Did you forget what day it is today?"_

"_What?"_

_A little girl, no older than ten, ran into the room. She leaped onto the bed and began to jump up and down._ "_Risty! Risty!" The russet haired girl bounced as the springs inside the mattress compressed then went back to its original shape. "Today is the day! Yes, today is the day! Eighteen! Eighteen!"_

"_Michal! Get off my bed!" Tristan hissed, as her dirt-filled shoes adulterated his clean bed sheets. _

_Michal stopped jumping and allowed herself to flop into the blue sheets. Her green eyes stared at her brother. "It won't be __**your**__ bed for long. Now that you are of age, you can move out, get married and have your own place. Then this will all be mine!" Tristan grabbed a pillow and smacked her across the head. "Oww..! Mom!!" _

_Their mother only shook her head. "Michal, go and have your breakfast." The young girl snorted and stomped away. Jules turned back to Tristan. "I guess you honestly did forget today was your birthday."_

"_Oh, right…" He had completely forgotten about that. Strange he normally didn't forget important things like that. Well, he had been busy with helping his father lately. _

_Since he was 18 now, the townspeople were going to host a party in his honor. It was customary in Hautz to have a "Coming of Age" celebration for each eighteen-year old villager. The new adult would then give a speech, to state their gratitude and declare what career they planned on pursuing. Tristan groaned. He hadn't come up with anything yet, though he was wondering if he should be a merchant like his father. Or maybe something else._

_There was a knock on his door. The wooden entrance slowly opened revealing a young girl with a pair of large blue eyes and curly blonde hair, sporting pink dress. The young girl stepped inside, keeping her hands behind her back. She walked over to Tristan and gave him a kiss on the cheek. _

"_Happy Birthday, Sweetie," she said giggling. She showed him what she was hiding. It was a thick dark purple vest that was bordered with gold at the edges. "I made this for you."_

_Tristan smirked. "Thanks, Cecilia." _

"_My boy!" Tristan's father busted into the room, opened his arms, and pulled his son in a tight hug, almost knocking Cecilia. The hefty man laughed as his son gasped for air. "Ha, Ha! You're really growing up. You're starting to look like me when I was your age… Oh right, your gift." He handed Tristan a thin long brown box. "Go on, open it."_

_When he did, Tristan gasped when he saw the slender rapier inside. He took the weapon out and rotated it in his hand. He thrust it in the air a few times. The rapier seemed to fit so comfortably in his hands. As he gazed into the shiny metal blade, an image appeared his mind. It was a girl, about his age, and her short brown hair was wet and sticking to her face. She was breathing heavily and held a spear in her hand. Her fierce chestnut colored eyes stared at him for a moment, and then he found himself looking at his own reflection in the blade. _

_Tristan gasped for a minute. "What the—?"_

"_Is something that matter? Do you not like it?" his father asked, frowning a bit._

_Tristan shook his head. "No, I love it. Thanks, Dad." _

_The older man beamed. "Well, then I'll see you later." With that his parents left._

_Tristan let out a sigh of relief. Sometimes they were a little overwhelming. He looked at the sword again, but all he saw was just a shiny metal blade. He wondered who that girl was. Was she a fighter or something? Well that would've explained the spear and the fact she was sweating. What was a girl doing fighting anyway? Despite the fact that her face was drenched in sweat, he couldn't help thinking that she was rather attractive…_

_He mentally scolded himself. It was wrong for him to be thinking of another woman. He had Cecilia. He had always had Cecilia. He had a crush on her since he was seven and that was far more than what he could say for that girl. Besides, they had promised they would marry each other. Yes, in a few years he and Cecilia would get married. She was the love of his life after all. _

_Cecilia eyed the rapier, uneasily. "You should put that thing down. It's very dangerous." She took the rapier and placed it in the corner of the room. "Come on, everyone is waiting for you outside." She gazed up at him and grinned._

_The face of the girl appeared again. She wasn't sweating or holding a spear. This time, her pink lips had curled into a smile. He couldn't help but want to smile with her. Soa, she looked so… _

Dammit, go **away**! _he thought to himself. He couldn't understand what had gotten into him. He looked down at Cecilia and leaned in to give her a kiss. But before he could do so, he stopped. __**Again**__, he had a mental image of the girl. He shook his head slightly, trying to get the face out of his mind. He settled for giving his girlfriend a firm hug; however, he felt nothing. _

_Cecilia took his hand and led him to the kitchen, for breakfast. Tristan glanced back at the rapier that leaned against his wall. _

_Who the hell was the girl?_

_------_

_Everyone cheered as he exited the house. Tristan flushed as the townspeople greeted him with hugs and gifts. He, Cecilia and the rest of his family walked to the town square, so he could make his speech and show his gratitude. _

_Tristan climbed the few stairs to the podium. He looked at the people seated before him—family, friends, neighbors—people that he had known his whole life. He took a deep breath._

"_I would like to thank everyone for this party you have put together. It must've taken you all a long time to prepare and set up the decorations and the food. So I am truly thankful. I would also like to thank you call for your support over these past eighteen years. My mother, father, little sister and even Cec—"_

_He stopped when he noticed a cloaked figure in the distance. He couldn't see any face, but it was staring at him. Then it turned and started to float away. _

"_Hey! Wait!" _

_Tristan jumped down the stairs and ran after it. He ignored the cries of his parents. For some reason he couldn't help but follow the silent stranger. He felt drawn to it. He ran for about five minutes until the cloaked figure reached a cliff. It ushered him over and pointed to the distance to what looked to be a burning town. _

_He gasped as he heard the screams and saw the fire spread. What town was this? There was no town this close to Hautz. Still he had to help. He was about to skid down, when his silent companion stopped him. _

"_You're saying I shouldn't help them?" He hissed. The cloaked head shook and pointed toward the side of the mountain. Tristan followed its finger and noticed a small boy run out of the burning town. The child skidded down the side of the mountain, but his quick movements caused him to trip and slide, scrapping his knee. _

_Tristan ran toward the young boy. "Hey! Kid, are you alright?" He reached the boy, who was curled up on the ground, clutching his injured leg. The older boy knelt down beside the child and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You oka—" _

_Multiple images bombarded his mind. His father. A ball. Screams. Fire. Wings of light. His mother. The dark forest. An old woman. Knights. A tall blond male. And that girl…_

_He gasped. _

"_RIZA!" _

_

* * *

_

Tristan eyes flew wide open with the realization that he was in a dream like state. He felt something move on his chest, and looked down to see a gray and green creature with five tentacles strapped to his body. He began to pull it off, but one of its tentacles was attached to the back of his head. He yelped, when he felt the pull on his skin. He picked up his rapier from the ground and stabbed its large green eye. It let out a cry; black ooze spilled from the open organ and its arms began to loosen. Taking the opportunity, Tristan flung the creature off of him and sliced it with his sword. He watched as the star-shaped monster curled up and died.

He gave a sigh of relief and looked up at the sky. The Virage Embryo was still there, but it seemed as if its attention was somewhere else. He turned to see the others with the same creatures on their chest as well. He groaned. No one else had woken up. He ran up to Mr. Feld.

Tristan sliced through the creature's eye and began to pull with all his might. "Wake up, dammit!"

* * *

_As he walked with his sons back home to Seles, Dart couldn't help but get these flash images of the girl. When she cried, he wanted to comfort her. When she rolled her eyes, he wanted to punish her for her rudeness. And when she smiled, it reminded him of something or someone he had lost…_

"_Welcome back!" _

_Dart looked up and saw Shana running up to him. She hugged him tightly—like she always did—so why did it feel wrong?_

"_What are you doing here?" He heard himself ask. _

_His wife gave him a perplexed look. "What do you mean? I was waiting for you and the boys."_

"_Boys…?" Dart shook his head. He suddenly noticed the two teenage boys looking at him. They had dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, much like himself, yet blond hair on his children seemed strange. _Shouldn't it be brown or something?_ Why did the idea of having sons seem so foreign to him? Something wasn't right. This…everything didn't feel right at all. "No…"_

_The image of the beaten-up teenage girl appeared in his mind. "Riza…?"_

"_Who's that, dear?" _

"_Daddy?"_

_The voice of a little girl was coming from the house. He moved Shana to the right and ran inside. He walked around, searching for the source of the voice. He noticed outside of his and Shana's bedroom stood a small girl, no older than six years old, rubbing her eyes. She wore a white gown, as if she had just awoken from a nap. She had short brown hair and large almond shaped brown eyes. However, she was transparent, like a ghost of some sorts or maybe a… _

_Dart saw himself—but younger?—scoop the girl up with one of his hands and kiss her on the head. This younger version was also transparent like the girl. _

"_Daddy, why are you crying?"_

_That was something Dart would like to know as well. Why did his younger self look so sad. But the phantom only shook his head. "It's just a splinter in my eye, that's all. Come on, let's go to Mommy." He followed them to the room, and watched as the ghost placed the child on the bed and a bucket to the ground. He noticed that a transparent Shana lay on the bed. She looked ill and was breathing heavily. Dart gasped._

Shana was dying.

_Memories began to flood his mind. He remembered now. It was all coming back to him. Soa was going to take his wife away from him. He was going to lose her. And that little girl, Riza, was their daughter, their __**only**__ child. _

What about your living wife? Your two sons who are scholarly and obedient? They are your family…

_No! As much as he hated to admit it, Shana was __**dead**__ and he had spent the last ten years raising a daughter without his precious wife. That was his reality! Sure Riza wasn't the son he had always wanted, or a respectable young lady of the court. She was a little rebellious and at times disrespectful, but she was still _his_ Riza. And his daughter _needed_ him now!_

_Dart's eyes narrowed as the people who claimed to be his wife and sons appeared. He knew what he had to do._

"_Dear, is something the matter?"_

"_Father you have been acting very strange lately." _

"_Father?" _

_Immediately he transformed into the Divine Dragoon. He aimed his cannon, feeling the energy that welled up in him desire to be released._

"_DIVINE DRAGON CANNON! WAAHHHHHH!!!!!!"_

_

* * *

_

Tristan flew backward as a bright light emerged from the divine dragoon, disintegrating the parasitic creature. He watched as Dart's hazel eyes narrowed. Okay, one down and…seven more to go. He ran to the others and began to release them from their trance. One by one, each of his comrades woke up, dizzy, dreary, and confused about what had actually happened.

Dart growled and his six wings opened. He would make that monster _pay_, for trying to make him forget his daughter! He hovered near the Virage Embryo and punched it in the face.

Kazic's sapphire eyes flared. The light spirit glowed and shafts colorful lights began to shot down at the divine dragoon.

Dart blocked, but each stream of light was stronger than the last. He parried another attack and brandished his gargantuan sword.

The Virage Embryo turned one of her gray arms into a blade, and deflected a blow to the face. _**"Do you think you can defeat me? A god?"**_

They all watched as the powerful entities fought. Tristan scowled. He didn't want to just stand idly by and watch. He needed to find a way to reach Riza. She had to be in there somewhere. It was here that helped him remember his reality, and he was going to help her do the same! He noticed large amounts of debris that piled up near to where the destroyer and Mr. Feld fought. Maybe his voice could be heard.

Tristan ran over to the large rocks and began to climb. He covered his head, as pebbles fell from above. He reached an area of high ground with a fairly level surface. "RIZA!" He waited until the creature was close enough and then he jumped.

"Tristan!" Dart stared at the audacious teen on the creature's chest. If he attacked, he would surely kill the boy. Soa, what they hell did he think he was doing?

Tristan hung on tightly to Riza's fused arm as Kazic feverishly moved, trying to get him off of her. The quick winds hurt his eyes, so he closed them. "RIZA!! Wake up! I know you can hear me!" He caught sight of his dragoon spirit near the Virage Embryo's ear and reached for it. Dammit, he wasn't close enough. He would have to climb to get it.

"_**Your efforts are futile. She cannot hear or see you!" **_She quickly dove to the ground, and then suddenly jerked backwards, hoping that would send the boy flying. But it didn't. She growled in annoyance as the she watched him call out to her host.

_Who's there? …Tristan is that you?_

Kazic gasped. No it couldn't be. Although the humans couldn't hear the girl, she could. Her host was beginning to make out what was going on in the outside world. No she shouldn't be able to do that!!!! Why?

The destroyer noticed the boy pulling on the dark purple dragoon spirit. He truly was the Black Monster personified! He was bent on destroying her, but not if she killed him first!

Tristan gnashed his teeth as he tried to get his dragoon spirit. His right arm muscle protruded out of his arm as he used all his might to get the orb out. It was loose, now. Just one more pull and he…got it! Now all he needed to do was… He gasped for a moment, when he felt a pain in his abdomen. He looked down and saw the one of the dragon appendages had inserted a claw through his belly. He coughed as blood began to stream down his mouth.

Kazic lifted the boy to her face. She smirked._** "This is the price you pay for your sacrilege,"**_ she said smugly, watching the boy's expression of utter shock. She waved her arm and the body slid off the talon and headed towards the wall.

"TRISTAN!!"

Vector immediately flew and caught him, but the collision of Tristan's body with his own caused him to slam into a stone pillar. The half-Wingly cringed at the pain, but he figured it was better him than the limp human that he cradled in his arms. He landed on the ground and laid Tristan on the floor. "Come on don't die on me!"

Pints of blood flowed from his body as he lay there on the cold stone floor. Tristan coughed and tried to get up, but he just didn't have the strength. He was tired. He began to feel heavy and cold. He glanced at the dragoon spirit that sat between his fingers. The light from it was dim and flickered in and out. His eyelids grew heavy and began to close against his will…

* * *

**Author's Note**: Oh, no, Tristan!!! I bet you didn't see that coming. You know when it came to the dreams, I honestly was going to cop out and just put Tristan's and then have him free everyone, but my sister said I should do one for each character, even if it was small. So I took her advice. Besides it allowed you, readers, to see into the private lives of the dragoons I really didn't focus on.

Also I have placed a summary of Kish and Nayeli's history because I am not getting into that in this particular story and it does explain the different dreams that they had, despite the fact that they are currently married. If you want, I'll place the rest of the character bios at the end of the next chapter. Just say so in the review.

Another disclaimer: The star creature on chest thing that did your heart's desire or whatever was from a Justice League (Regular or Unlimited) episode. DC comics has the rights to that (don't remember the name of it, though). I just kinda borrowed it cuz it seemed cool. Yeah, so if any or you people noticed it, here is the disclaimer so I don't get sued or whatever.

In other news, I just found out that there is a LOD manga based on the first disc of the videogame. It was released in Japan, but never released in America!! It sounded interesting but there are some things that are different from the game. (go to Wikipedia, they have everything there)

Anyway don't forget to R&R.

* * *

**Character Bios**

**Kish** (29) _**[First Appearance: Chapter 6] **_is an expert archer from the flower city of Donau and the fourth wielder of the Light Dragoon spirit. His weapon of choice is a bow and arrow (duh). Kish was born in Rouge and was married to a girl named Rachel at the age of 19. Due to Kish's kind hearted nature, his young wife often depicted him as a weakling. Verbal abuse was very habitual in the Myer household. Three months into the marriage, Kish found his wife cheating on him with his 'best friend'. The young man filed for a divorce and left Rouge, heartbroken.

After leaving his wife, he traveled the world searching for something, anything that would fill him. During his travels, he trained in the art of archery—in a way to prove to his ex-wife and to himself that he was not feeble. When he came to Donau, he came during a spring festival. It was there he saw a young aspiring performer, Nayeli. Touched by her love song, the 24 year old became convicted in getting to know the singer. At first, his offers for dinner were rejected, but his persistence paid off. After three years, the two married; however they were unable to have children, due to Nayeli's infertility.

Kish wanted to enter into the Hero's Competition in Lohan, with his wife, however she said that she had a job to do for her viewers and said that she would wait for him. When Kish went to Lohan for the Competition, he met Riza, and came out as the victor for that year's tournament.

Kish is portrayed with tanned skin (a light tan, like olive colored…the Italians, maybe?) with shaggy red hair, bright blue eyes, and a few scattered light freckles on his face. Although he is kind, he has a little bit of self-esteem issues, due to his past experiences. Like all the other wielders of the Light dragon spirit he is sweet and loves helping people.

------

**Nayeli** (22) _**[First Appearance: Chapter 9]**_ is Kish's second wife and the wielder of the Earth Dragoon Spirit. Daughter to a Minitos mother and a Gigantos refugee father, Nayeli was born and grew up in the flower city of Donau, Tiberoa. Due to her Giganto background, some of the human children would tease her and call her the 'ignorant Giganto'. However, the hard-headed girl never let it get to her. She became a performer, a singer and a dancer at the age of 16. While singing during a spring festival, her songs of love and wholeness reached the ears of a young archer named Kish Myer. Although she rejected his invitations at first, believing it was fan mail, she decided to give the older male a shot. Despite the fact that he was male, he turned out to be a very kind, and tender-hearted person and it intrigued her.

They were wedded three years later; however they were unable to bare children due to the fact that mixed species produced infertile offspring.

Nayeli is portrayed with caramel dark skin (like African, but not too dark) with curly hair with traces of pink in it, and lime colored eyes. She is a little taller than the average female human of the time, but not a giant due to her Minitos heritage. (She is 5'9, btw) She is very beautiful and her beauty catches Tristan off guard at first. She is a very hard-headed girl, with an attitude, contrasting to her husband, who is sweet-hearted and most of the time optimistic. Her weapon is a pair of brass knuckles.


	23. Body and Soul

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Legend of Dragoon but I own the plot and all the made up characters in this fanfiction.

**Author's Note**: Lots of action in this chapter guys, so brace yourselves. Yeah, I'm trying to finish this before the summer is over, so yeah…

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 23**

The Virage Embryo glared down at the fallen boy. Two of her wings had disappeared and she was slightly weakened due to the absence of the darkness spirit. No matter. It was just a minor setback. Still, he truly had become a thorn on her side. As long as he was alive, her existence was _compromised_. She needed to get rid of him once and for all. The thunder spirit glowed and electricity filled her hand. She aimed it at him and the Wingly nearby.

"_**Die…"**_

A giant shield came zooming her way and hit her hand, knocking the pellet off course. The ball of electricity collided with the ceiling causing to debris to fall. Kazic growled as she slapped the rocks from her face and turned her attention to the young elf. _**"You little maggot!" **_The wind spirit shined and a column of swirling wind descended down.

Kylin tried to nimbly jump away, however the tornado's strong winds pulled her in. She wanted to scream for help, but she struggled to breathe as the winds stole her breath. Round and round she went; it felt like her skin was ripping away from her body. She kept her eyes shut, finding it too painful to keep them open. Suddenly she felt as if something or someone had grabbed her. She couldn't feel the wind anymore. Kylin cautiously opened her eyes and saw that her face was pressed against a rugged silver surface. Her eyes turned and saw blond hair swaying in the wind.

Dart had caught the young elf before she could be completely swallowed by the magic attack. He placed her on the ground as she stared at him awestruck. She looked so young. What was a child doing becoming a dragoon?

He noticed the others trying to attack Kazic. They looked like they were agitating her. Good, he needed her distracted in order to get the dragoon spirits. He caught a glance of Tristan and clenched his jaw. The light based one was his immediate goal at the moment.

-----

The distraction allowed Vector to find a safer place for his dying comrade. He settled for a shelter under a canopy of rock. He laid Tristan on a more or less even ground and began to examine the situation. Tristan was losing too much blood, so he needed to think fast. He had no healing abilities, but he needed to find a way to make the bleeding stop. He closed his eyes and placed his hand over the wound. Ice covered the boy's abdomen. It would have to do.

Tristan let out a low moan, trying to speak, but no words could come out. The blood in his throat was preventing him from speaking. He used a lot of effort and coughed it out. His eyes were half open and they glanced at Vector. "Ri—" He couldn't finish what he wanted to say and his eyes slowly began to close.

"Tristan, wake up!" Vector ordered, shaking the boy's limp body. It moved like a heavy ragdoll. He slapped the boy's pale face a few times, trying to keep his eyes open, but it was to no avail.

He cussed. He knew that it was possible that some of them would die during the fight, but he didn't want to believe it, thinking that some miracle would happen. Yet here he was holding a fallen comrade in his arms. What hurt the **most** was that he was starting to get to actually _know_ Tristan. A part of his mind wanted to say that if one of the other members were injured, he would act the same, but he knew that wasn't the case. Despite their numerous jeers and arguments, Vector had found a _friend_ in the young black haired human—even if Tristan liked to deny it. He couldn't help _but_ get emotionally involved! He could feel the tears start to well up in his eyes. Tristan was dying and he couldn't think of anymore to do! "_Dammit_."

There was an explosion nearby, caused by the brawl between the mighty entities, and the canopy began to crumble above him. Vector used his body as a buffer to prevent any further damage to his friend. The pebbles trickled down his back and he moved away to 'safer' territory. He needed healing items immediately. He noticed Lani with a large sack in her hands, and there was a glisten of hope in his eyes—he had completely forgotten the obvious! He called the bandit over. She ran over to him, understanding, and handed him the bag. "I don't know if we have anymore healing fogs…" she said regretfully, looking at the ice covered hole in Tristan's gut that was beginning to melt.

Vector examined its contents. Five full bottles of Sun Rhapsody, seven empty bottles, and a bottle containing a blue liquid. He could've sworn that they packed more than this. Wasn't there another bag somewhere? Or did it just get lost in the fight? That didn't matter now! He took out the bottle with the blue liquid, opened it, and smelled its contents. Healing Potion! He placed one of his hands on Tristan's back, so the boy's head could be slightly elevated, and poured the liquid down into his mouth. Some of the contents began to spill over from the side. Vector used one of his hands to cover the side of Tristan's mouth.

"Swallow!" Vector tilted Tristan head so the liquid could go down. "Please don't die!" he begged. He cracked some of the hard ice and then poured the little that was left in the bottle onto Tristan's wound. The blood began to sizzle as soon as the liquid made contact with it and it stopped flowing. The purple-yellow skin surrounding the wound began to conjoin, however the process stopped, as the concentration of the potion was very minuscule. He wondered if it would be enough to keep Tristan alive.

Vector saw the dragoon spirit that lay loose between boy's fingers. He gasped.

It wasn't _glowing_.

* * *

He couldn't feel anything, as if he truly wasn't existing. He felt cold…

Something warm was place on his head. Life rushed back into him. He could hear the rhythmic thumping of his heart. Something or someone was caressing his head, playing with his hair. He liked it. He felt at peace. He could hear a soft voice in the distance. It was female. It was sweet but coated with sadness and angst. Still, the melodies flowed through his ears like a soft lullaby.

_A lullaby…_

He slowly began to open his eyes. His vision was blurry and his eyelids were heavy. All he could see a long dark hair cascading down from an obscured face.

_Mother…?_

He blinked a few times, trying to rid his eyes of the cloudiness. But it wasn't his mother that he found himself laying on the lap of. He gasped and quickly moved away from her, in defense position. He raised his hands, and noticed he had no weapon. He eyed the woman, who slowly got up from her kneeling position. She had long ebony hair and was wearing and unusual amethyst and golden garments, including a cuirass, boots that were uneven in height and matching head gear that reminded him of cat ears. He stared at her for a minute, and noticed a small dark color creature run up to her. She picked it up and pet it on the head and it growled in delight.

He turned away and began to notice the scenery. The entire place was a dark abyss, and the only source of light was being emitted by the woman who stood before him. It was a dim purple light…it seemed so familiar to him. It was then that he remembered. He quickly touched his abdomen region. There was no trace of blood or a scar…

"Hello Tristan," the woman said, breaking his train of thought. He looked up at her.

"Who…are you…?" he asked hesitantly.

"I am Rose," the woman replied.

"Rose," he repeated, letting his tongue have a go at the name. It reminded him of another name that was so similar, yet that person was out of his reach now. "So, is this Hell?"

"No," Rose replied. "Your soul is inside the dragoon spirit. I have brought you here, saving you from the grips of death, at least for a little while."

"_Inside_ the dragoon spirit?" Tristan scrutinized the woman more carefully. "Who _are _you?" He knew that he had asked the question before, but he wasn't asking her name. He wanted to know, who…or _what_ she was that she had the power to bring him into this place. That was, if she wasn't lying.

"I am the dragoon spirit and the dragoon spirit is me." She placed the creature down and it scurried away and disappeared into the darkness. "For 17 years, this has been my fate. It was I who chose you and it was from here that I have watched over you since your father gave you the dragoon spirit. But I can stand idly by no longer!" She started walking toward him.

Tristan stepped back, after hearing her words. "Wait…you've been 'watching over me' that whole time? But…wh—where were you when Hautz was attacked?" He narrowed his eyes. "Why did you sit 'idly by' then?"

"War is not in human nature," Rose plainly stated. "Humans fight by making themselves enter insanity." She held out the spirit of the black buster dragon and he watched as it glowed in her hands. "This is a tool to amplify the insanity, and it is the insanity that is the source of the power of Dragoons. When I chose you as the master of dragoon spirit, you were but a mere child. Children cannot enter into that point of insanity that is needed to power the dragoon spirit."

He turned away; that wasn't the answer he wanted to hear, but what did he expect? Nothing she said would change what had happened all those years ago.

She put the dragoon spirit back in her pocket. "I chose you because I knew that I could complete my _mission_ through you," she abruptly said.

He reverted his attention back to her. "Mission?"

Rose nodded. "My soul cannot find peace until my mission is complete. I must kill the soul of the Virage Embryo!"

Tristan's eyes widened as her words echoed in his ears. _Kill the soul of the Virage Embryo? That would mean…!_

"No!" he retorted. "I can't let you do that! _Riza is the soul_!" His eyes narrowed, looking intensely into the pair of purple eyes before him.

"Wrong," Rose said calmly, not intimidated by the young boy. "Riza is the vessel that the soul needed in order to find its body. Now that is has a body, the girl is no longer needed."

"No longer needed?" he repeated. If the Virage Embryo didn't need Riza anymore then… "Then why does it still have her?"

"To protect itself," the former dragoon replied.

"What?"

The small creature reappeared and Rose picked it up. "A dragon's body is capable of enormous endurance, but its heart is not. Since the Embryo has taken the body of a dragon, it also has its strengths as well as its weaknesses."

Tristan thought for a moment. "So, if you mar the heart…"

"You destroy the body, and thus releasing the soul again, allowing you the opportunity to kill it once and for all!" The former dragoon replied, completing his sentence. Despite the valuable information that she had just revealed, she sighed. "However, the soul knows that. It also knows that you would never harm Riza, so it is using that knowledge to its advantage." Rose put one of her hands on Tristan's shoulder. "We must destroy the Embryo now, before it obliterates every last creature on this planet!"

He pushed her hand off. "But what about _Riza_? Is there a way to detach her from the body?" He needed to know if there was a way to kill the Virage Embryo _and_ make sure that Riza was safe.

Again Rose sighed. "Riza's situation is complex. It's true that before the soul found a body, she and the Virage Embryo were one in a sense; however the circumstances have changed. It seems that the soul had drained most of her life energy in order complete its vocation without her interference." She shook her head. "No, there is nothing we can do."

Tristan stared at her wide-eyed. "_Nothing_? You really expect me to _**kill**_ Riza in order destroy the heart?!" He knew that the fate of the world depended on it, but he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. After all they had been through, why did something like _this_ have to happen? He clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. He felt so _useless_. No! There _had _to be another way…somehow! "Damn it!"

Rose's eyes softened. She could empathize with the pain he was feeling; the inability to save the one he loved. She felt that way when she couldn't save Zieg all those years ago. The memories were all too clear in her mind. Letting go of her beloved as his petrified body floated into the unknown…and yet 11,000 years later she was able to see his face again. Maybe, just maybe…

"If she is conscience, then she must fight the soul from within," she said, causing Tristan to look up. "If she succeeds, then she is truly is a Feld! You cannot help her with that; she must do it on her own. The only thing you can do is try to wake her up."

The dragon in her hands glowed and morphed into a scabbard with a sword encased in it. "When you fight the Virage Embryo, use this sword." Rose said, handing the scabbard to Tristan.

He unsheathed the sword and gasped. Instead of a metal blade, there was a blade made of yellow transparent energy. He turned the sword in his hand, examining it. "What is this?"

"This is the Dragon Buster, a weapon made from the old world made only to kill dragons." She noticed Tristan raising one of his eyebrows. "It is possible that weakening the dragon half of the body will allow your friend's soul a chance to defeat the Virage Embryo."

Tristan nodded. If there was a chance, he would take it. He looked up at Rose. "Thank you."

"If the actual soul is released, you must destroy it before it has the chance to enter into another host," she said, plainly. "Our time has ended, you must go now."

* * *

Vector rest his head on Tristan's chest. The spirit not glowing for its master was _never_ a good sign. Usually it meant that—

He tried to see if he could hear any sort of faint pulse. Anything. But there was no sound. Maybe if he could try to jumpstart Tristan's heart, then perhaps then…? Vector opened the boy's leather shirt and removed the metal breastplate, exposing his bare chest. He placed his ear on Tristan's chest again. Nothing. Vector gulped, praying that he didn't put too much power in the jolt. He rubbed his hands together and flexed his fingers before placing one of his hands above Tristan's heart. He closed his eyes and his hand gave off a dim violet light. The shock caused Tristan's limp body to jerk a bit. He listened to see if there was any change. No pulse. He tried again. No pulse. Again. No pulse. "Come on! _Start,_ dammit!"

Lani frowned, placed her hand on Vector's shoulder, and put her head down. She didn't say anything. She didn't have to—her actions said it all. Vector tightened his jaw, trying to force himself not to cry. Crying would just prove that Tristan was actually…

_Dead._

His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the Virage Embryo. "Bastard!!!" His eyes turned black and the room was soon covered by an eerie dark mist. The loud howl of a wolf could be heard, however that was as far as the attack went. Kazic dodged it, countering with a light based attack. Vector grabbed Lani and Tristan and tried to fly away, but they were catapulted from their position from the impact. Lani's hand slipped away from the half-Wingly's grasps and she fell to the ground. The stone pillars around her began to crumble, burying half of her body.

"Lani!" Crayk screamed running toward them. He knelt down and began to push the rock that rested on his friend. "Lani!" She moaned and slowly opened her eyes.

"I don't think…I can move it…ow!"

"Shut up!" the bandit leader ordered. Nayeli ran over, assisting him in the removal of the heavy stones. When she lifted a large pillar, Crayk pulled Lani out. Her pants and boots were tattered and her legs were bruised badly. Crayk hoisted her onto his shoulder. "Don't worry, I got you."

Nayeli scanned the area, looking for her other fallen comrades. When she spotted Vector's silver hair, she ran up to him.

Vector groaned, as his eyelids fluttered. He felt so weak, and his head was pounding. He lifted his head, and saw Tristan's body lying in front of him. He also noticed that the dragoon spirit still remained in the boy's hand. It was strange how throughout the blasts and flying, Tristan was able to still hold onto the orb—it was as if it was plastered on—as if he wasn't ready to give up on life. He noticed Nayeli coming towards him. She knelt down, took one of Vector's arms, and flung it over her shoulder, helping him get up.

"You alright?" she asked.

_Do I look 'alight'? _It was rather a foolish question, but Vector decided not to point that out. "Yeah. _Peachy_." He glanced back at Tristan and sighed. That sounded like something _he_ would've said. He was about to turn away, when something caught his eye. He looked back at Tristan; his dead body laid there as it did before. Yet Vector could've sworn he saw one of his fingers twitch. Was he just imagining that? Trying to give himself false hope? He knew his observation was true when he saw the fingers around the dragoon spirit begin to curl.

Suddenly the dragoon spirit began to vibrate and the eye opened, revealing a purple pupil. It released a brilliant wave of light that surrounded Tristan's body. Vector shielded his eyes. What was causing the dragoon spirit to react this way? The purple rays of light shot up into the air and morphed into an apparition of a dragoon. She was female, every part of the armor, hugging her many curves. Headgear, resembling that of cat ears, protruded above her ears. Vector's eyes widened.

"Rose…?"

The dragoon swung her sword and flew to the Virage Embryo. "Astral Drain!" She did a flip and threw her rapier at the destroyer. The weapon flew, until it stopped short of Kazic's face, and paralyzed her. A ray of black energy struck into Kazic, and purple and black ooze flowed from out of her into the sword.

Dart stared in awe. _That voice… _It had to be was no mistaking it; that attack had saved them countless times in battle before Shana ever received the healing powers of the White Silver dragon. But how…?

Kazic cringed as her energy began to slowly drain from her. The attack had completely caught her by surprise. Her eyes widened when she saw a ray of blue light hit the phantom dragoon, who released it and allowed it to rain down on the dying boy on the ground.

_No it couldn't be…_

The sword retracted and flew into the phantom's hands. The ghostly body split, turned back into purple lights, which descended back into the dragoon spirit. The wound on Tristan's gut disappeared as the dragoon's healing attack took effect. His eyes burst open; and he closed his hand, encasing the brightly lit orb. Ebony ribbons began to tightly coil around his body as he stood up. An amethyst light emanated from him and he shone like a vivid star. The blinding radiance subsided and revealed Tristan fully dressed in the armor of the Black Buster dragon.

Vector couldn't believe his eyes. No one could actually. It all seemed so surreal. One minute Tristan was lying on the ground without a pulse, and now he was standing, alive. He couldn't help but feel relieved. He watched as Tristan extended his hand and something began to fabricate from the air. A sword formed with a large hilt and a blade of yellow transparent light.

_The Dragon Buster…? But how…?_

He felt power like he had never before. Adrenaline flowed through his veins as he remembered his mission at hand. Tristan rose steeply into the air toward the Virage Embryo, brandishing the sword menacingly. He evaded the rain of stars that came his way and nimbly severed one of the dragon's gargantuan arms—a little payback for almost killing him.

Kazic howled in pain as one of the dragon appendages fell to the ground. She thought for sure that the boy had died. No human could survive that! _**"You wretched creature!"**_ she screamed.

It wasn't long before the tower would give way. He had to do this fast. Tristan flew to a lower elevation, closer to the dragon part of the body. As he flew down, he began to slice through scales and muscle. "AGH!!!"

The Virage Embryo tried to grab the dragoon with one of her other hands, however, at surge of energy hit her. She felt weaker. She turned and noticed the Divine Dragoon hovering nearby, dangling one of the dragoon spirits in his hand. She hadn't even realized it was missing, until now! Another set of wings disappeared, and she almost lost her balance as her ten remaining wings tried to support her heavy body.

Dart flew down and handed the dragoon spirit to the little elf girl, who ran and handed it to a shaggy, red haired male.

Kish transformed into the White Silver dragoon; however, his priority wasn't attacking the Virage Embryo. As Riza's father and Tristan kept Kazic occupied, Kish floated above his other comrades. He raised his arms to the sky and looked to the heavens and said:

"God, give me power! Gates of Heaven!"

A stream of yellow light came down from the sky. Kish landed in front of the others as the light began to widen and blossom into wings, giving off rays of light, healing them.

Kazic growled. These inferior beings, these insects, have gotten in the way for long enough._** "You all will die! I will kill you all!" **_She cried, making her verdict. Her sapphire eyes began to glow brightly.

"Shit!" Tristan retreated for a bit when the Virage Embryo began to use its own power rather than the dragoon spirits. She was beginning to emit a blue light from her head, much like the light he had seen coming from Riza in Dalio. If he didn't do something they were all going to die! He gasped, when remembered. He cut himself on the arm, making a large gash, and allowed his blood to flow on the blade. He created a vertical line with the Dragon Buster; and the blood flew from the blade and stayed suspended in the air.

"Demon's Gate!"

The vertical alignment of the blood began to open, like a gate, and began sucking in the attack of the Virage Embryo. Then it closed and sank into the ground. Tristan breathed heavily, and wobbled a bit. That was a higher level attack and it took a lot out of him. He wasn't quite sure if he could summon anymore magic, still he at least had the Dragon Buster. The Virage Embryo looked like it was getting weaker and frustrated. However, in order to kill it, he needed to destroy the heart, and not without getting through to Riza first. He looked at the body that was attached to the Virage Embryo. Rose had told him that Riza was being used to protect the heart, but the girl he was looking at looked like an empty husk.

"Riza!" Tristan cried, edging closer to her body that was attached to the demi-dragon. "Listen to me! I know you are in there. You have to fight the soul from within! Don't give—woah!" He parried Kazic's hand, as she tried to grab him, and flew behind her. He had to keep encouraging. Screaming. He prayed that his voice would be heard…

* * *

_That voice…Tristan? But I thought you were…_

Her heavy eyelids fluttered open. She sat up from her reclined position and looked around. Nothing, but darkness surrounded her; but she couldn't help but feel something or _someone_ calling her. Again she heard her name.

_Can it really be…?_

She dragged herself to her feet and stood, looking around. Where was his voice coming from? "Tristan?" His voice resonated in her ears.

"_**Silence!"**_

She turned around and there stood the soul of the Virage Embryo. Her eyes narrowed. "Kazic…" She readied herself in a battle stance. "Sorry, but I have to go."

"_**You are not going anywhere, host." **_

Riza lifted her fists and charged. Kazic evaded the punch easily and sent a blast of blue energy at Riza. The girl flew backward and slide on the ground. Kazic walked over to the fallen girl and grabbed her by the neck and lifted her in the air.

"_**You cannot fight; you are too weak to defeat me."**_ Her grip around Riza's neck grew tighter. _**"You thought you could buy yourself sometime by threatening me, but then I realized something."**_ She brought the girl's face closer to hers. _**"I can just kill your soul and quickly enter your body. You shouldn't be that hard to imitate. I wonder if your little friend will be able to tell the difference as he holds me in his arms. Or perhaps when he touches me as I lay in bed with him in your place?"**_

Riza's eyes flared and she head-butted Kazic, causing the hold around her neck to loosen. She kicked the destroyer and took a few steps back to regain her balance. "You're not getting my body. _That,_ I am sure of!" She tried to do an uppercut, but Kazic dodged. Again a surge of blue energy hit Riza; however she got back up. She spit out some blood and repositioned herself in battle stance. She noticed a small dim light in the corner of this black abyss. That was her ticket out of this place! All she needed was a plan…

"_**You humans are pathetic…ngh!"**_Kazic cringed, clutching her arm. Damn, those humans were really doing number on her. She felt even weaker. The dragoons must've retrieved another spirit while she was distracted with her host's soul. She turned back to Riza, who had taken her hesitation as an opportunity and landed a blow on her face. She stumbled back a bit. _**"It is about time I ended this!"**_Kazic began to channel her energy to her hands as Riza came charging towards her. This child was truly a glutton for punishment. **"**_**Fool!"**_

Riza ran toward the destroyer, but instead of trying to punch, she ducked, and immediately kicked Kazic in the back. She ran as fast as she could toward the light, which seemed to be getting bigger with every step she took. She jumped, embracing herself in the luminescence.

"_**No!" **_

_**

* * *

**_

Riza's eyes flew open. They moved around, seeing what situation she was in. She tried to pull her arm out, but she felt too weak. She had to act quickly before the soul tried to invade her body again. She noticed Tristan to her right, holding a large honey colored sword. That looked like it could cut through hard skin, pretty easily. She screamed as loud as she could, despite the fact that it took a lot of energy to do so. "Tristan! Cut me loose, _**now**_!"

Her voice was loud and piercing. Tristan looked up when he heard the command; however he was beaten to the task by Riza's father. In one swift motion Dart sliced through the flesh of the Virage Embryo and his daughter fell into his arms. Her body was covered in multiple wounds and scars, mostly caused by him. He cringed at the thought. She moaned and turned her head toward his face.

"…Dad…" She gave him a weak smile. Although she didn't know how her father had gotten there, her voice was coated with relief. Her eyelids began to close. She was exhausted and in so much pain, but she felt safe knowing that he was there.

"Just hang on," he told her, before returning his attention back to her captive who started to move. "Divine Dragon Cannon!" The large surge of energy flew towards the destroyer's face, blasting half of it off.

Kazic growled. She had a disfigured face, missing appendages and blood kept flowing from her body. Two more dragoon spirits—fire and water—were taken as well during her internal battle with her host. Without the strength of the extra wings, supporting her weight, she plummeted to the ground. The impact formed a large crater and the tower began to shake and move downward, sinking into the ice below. She struggled to get up. When she noticed the darkness dragoon zooming towards her, she immediately transformed one of her arms into a sword, trying to block the attack. However the dragoon's blade was able to cut through her defense, the blade slicing her arm off. _**"How dare you, humans!"**_

While the Virage Embryo was distracted, Kylin flew from behind and grabbed the remaining three dragoon spirits. The sets of wings disappeared from Kazic's back. The young elf flew to Derrick and Nayeli and gave them their spirits.

When Kazic raised her body, trying to get up, Tristan noticed the opening in her chest, where Riza once guarded. There was a purple-red object that was covered by a thin layer of green tissue. He gasped. _The heart!_ However, her body went immediately back to the ground, concealing the muscular organ. He needed to somehow get the Virage Embryo to lift up its body again. He turned to Derrick, who was hovering near him. "Derrick! You think you can cover me?" The knight cocked a brow, not fully understanding what he was supposed to do. "I just need a diversion."

Derrick nodded and took to higher elevation. He began to twirl his lance, and larger and larger winds began to formulate around it.

"Gaspless!"

A hot dusty humid wind shot down from his lance and collided with Kazic's body. The destroyer screamed, and raised her remaining hand so she could protect herself. In the midst of the attack, Tristan rocketed towards her, brandishing the Dragon Buster. When he saw the slightest glimpse of the heart, he left no time for hesitation and stabbed it. Green ooze splashed onto his face, but he plunged the sword as deep as he could.

Her body fell to the ground and Tristan flew out of the way. He sighed, relieved that the thing was finally… He gasped saw the body begin to illuminate. There was the faint sound of laughter.

"_**Fools! You cannot destroy me! I am a god!" **_

"It's trying to escape!" Vector yelled.

"To hell it will!" Dart aimed his cannon at the Virage Embryo, allowing his insanity to power the dragoon spirit. A large concentration of energy shot out from his arm, hitting the soul.

"_**NOO!!!!"**_

There was a large explosion; and the tower began to rapidly sink into the icy waters below. The dragoons retreated, leaving the dismantling Flanvel Tower. Nayeli grabbed Crayk and Lani and followed the others to the cold outside. They all watched as large glaciers of ice covered whatever remained of the infamous Mobile fort.

It was finally over.

* * *

**Author's** **Note**: Yay, Tristan isn't dead! **foxthefox**, I would never kill him, he's my _favorite_. (Then comes Vector cuz I just think Winglies are so cool.) Yeah, I always thought that Demon's Gate was a weird attack…so I kind of made up my own version of it. I hope you like this chapter!

One more chapter guys (really the Epilogue) and then that is it, the end of 'Another Legend'. O_o (gasps) I can feel tears filling my eyes…R&R people!


	24. Epilogue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Legend of Dragoon but I own the plot and all the made up characters in this fanfiction.

**Author's Note**: We have come to the end of Another Legend. It's actually 'the end'! O_o Yeah, I am just as surprised as you guys are!!! Very sorry for the late update, but I had A LOT of work to do. Hope you enjoy the last chapter! :)

"Another Legend"

By Shinshia101

**Chapter 24**

Tristan cussed as he watched the droplet of blood flow down his thumb. He placed it in his mouth and glared at his asparagus-colored vest. The extra smooth exterior of one of the silver buttons caused him to cut himself as he struggled to fasten it.

His mother giggled, watching her son's irritation. "I told you to let me do it." She moved his arms, and in a few swift motions, closed it. It wasn't as hard as he made it seem. Still, when met with a pair of astonished green eyes, Isabelle smiled. "This isn't the first time I've done this, you know?"

Tristan nodded, understanding. However, he was quite embarrassed that his mother had to help him put his clothes on. He felt like a 9 year old boy instead of a 19 year old _man_ who was going to be _20_ in a few weeks.

At the moment, the two were in one of the many guest rooms of Indels Castle, getting ready for the Knighting Ceremony that was about to commence later that afternoon. He had expected that after saving the world from its predestined destruction that knighthood would be automatically granted; however that wasn't the case—he still hadn't completed his training. And then there was the 'straggler'—Riza—who had not officially registered to become a knight, so she too had to train in order to be inducted into the Serdian 'Brotherhood'—however that name is susceptible to change with the addition of a female member.

Tristan looked down at the short woman in front of him, who patted out any dust on his clothing. He let out a low groan of annoyance, even though he wasn't completely against the idea of having his mother help him. It was moments like these that made her day.

"There is nothing to be ashamed about." His mother said. She slapped his chest playfully as if was hurt by the thought. He cocked a brow at her, and then pulled her into an embrace with one of his arms. The old woman gasped at the sudden display of affection. With her face squeezed against his chest, she mumbled, "I just want to make sure that you look your best when you go out there." She could feel the tears welling in her eyes and she hiccuped.

After Lavitz had died Isabelle thought for certain that she would die of a broken heart. Tragedy just seemed to find its way into her home and even she was surprised that she had made it seven years without her only son. Dreams and promises were never fulfilled—lost in the world of the dead…

But then, she found _him_.

It had been thirteen years since she had found the small boy in her stable. True, he was rebellious at first and there were times when she wanted to give the boy a spanking or two, but somewhere deep in her heart, she knew that she had received a blessing—a balm in her time of suffering. So, she was patient and it proved to be fruitful and he slowly began to open up to her. Despite the fact that she was growing in age, she felt young again with the boy around the house. He just seemed to fill the place with life! It was during that time that she had watched him grow into a handsome young man. Oh, time had really flown quickly!

However fear began to creep up when he had told her he wanted to be a knight, like the men before him. She didn't want him too—Soa, she had already lost the last _two_ men in her life to it—but he was persistent, so she allowed him to do so and he proved to have talent.

His mission two years ago had really hit her hard. His long weeks of absence—something that she should have been used to—was almost unbearable. She had cried every day since he left, praying that he would come back—hoping that someone wouldn't come to her doorstep with the terrible news that she had heard two times before. But he did come back—alive. Though, she almost had a heart attack when she saw the large scar on his abdomen. To this day, her son never revealed how he got the scar, and it was probably for the best. The shock of the story might strain her weak heart.

So many emotions flowed within her as her head rested on his chest; but the one that was evident and above all the others was pride. Now that his training was complete, he was to be knighted and become an official member of the Serdian Knighthood. She was so proud of him. She was so…

She sniffled. Oh no, she had promised him that she wouldn't…

Tristan gave his mother a light kiss on the head as she began to cry. She always got emotional when it came to these types of events. _Moms…_

Isabelle withdrew herself from his hold. "I don't want…to wet your clothes…" She wiped her eyes and patted his vest with her scarf, trying to dry the damp circle on his vest. She handed him a large black belt, which he fastened around his waist. She then adjusted his white tunic and patted him on the chest. "There." She let a sigh.

He took out his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. As she dabbed her face, he hugged her again. "Thanks, Mom…for everything."

"Go, before I start crying again." Isabelle ordered, pushing him away, again.

Tristan nodded and took his leave. As he sauntered down the Eastern Corridor, a flash of silver zoom past him. He turned around and cocked a brow. The half-Wingly looked as frantic as always. After the battle with Kazic, Vector had become part of King Albert's counsel; however some of the other members were slightly weary of the idea of having a 'Wingly' in the court, in fear that he would one day turn against the royal family and rise up against them. But the king dismissed the idea. He believed in trust not prejudice, and he trusted the half-Wingly, and put him to the task of dealing with minor domestic affairs and education in rural areas. With his knowledge of the past and Wingly mechanics, Vector was able to advance Serdian technology and created an apparatus that aided in the increase of annual crop yields. Trade increased. Poverty decreased. His accomplishments earned him the titles of Minister of Education _and_ Minister of Technology.

Tristan quickly jogged until his was in synch with Vector's footwork. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" But, before Vector could even answer, he injected his own answer instead. "Going to see if Princess Erin is in the library, aren't you? You sick pervert!"

Vector quickly scanned the halls, making sure that no one had heard the black-haired boy's comments. Seeing no one, he hissed: "How can you accuse me of such a thing? I would never—"

"You know she is _16_," Tristan interrupted, noting the legal age of marriage. He smirked when he saw Vector's cheeks turn to the color of his eyes. He loved pulling Vector's leg. He was so gullible despite that fact that he was well-learned "But I'm not sure if she would be interested in an old geezer like you."

"I'm not…" A single brow was raised, before the statement was completed. "Alright, I don't _look_ that old! Happy? Besides, my personal life is no business of yours!"

"How can you say that to your _friend_?" Tristan asked, obnoxiously emphasizing the last word. Vector glanced at him, but didn't answer. "Fine, be that way. But you know, even _I'm _crept out about your age. You're as old as these things." He pointed to the dragoon spirit that hung on a chain around his friend's neck. "Do you think you'll ever age?"

"Of course." The half-Wingly responded in an 'as-a-matter-of-factly' tone. "It is just an issue of me not using my magic. The more I use it, the more likely I stay younger and alive. If I don't, I start to grow older, like a normal human does." He had decided that he would allow himself to grow older after he had found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He couldn't help but think about…Vector shook his head, remembering his mission. He turned to Tristan. "Do you know where Riza is?"

"Why are you asking me? Isn't it your job to head this thing?"

"No. It is the job of the…" He caught himself about to ramble and stopped. "Well do you?"

Tristan shook his head. Wasn't the answer obvious? "She's most likely in the Womens Quarters, towards the West Wing."

A light bulb in Vector's mind glowed. "Right! You are most certainly correct. In that case, I must tell her that she cannot delay any longer—the ceremony is about to start."

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Vector, it starts in an _hour_!" However, the half-Wingly had already started going in the opposite direction. "Wait, I'll come with you!"

"No!" Vector quickly turned around—his fast reflexes stopping Tristan from moving any further. "You can't see her **before** the ceremony! It goes against all the principles of the event!"

The raven haired boy, again, rolled his eyes. "We're getting knighted, not _married_!" His cheeks turned slightly red at the thought, but then he shook his head. Now was not the time to think of that.

"Again, I say no. Besides, men aren't normally allowed in that area, but there are some exceptions—"

Tristan folded his arms. "And you're one of those 'exceptions', right?"

"Exactly!" Vector was glad that his companion was slowly beginning to understand. "Why don't you go to the Great Hall and mingle with the guests? I'm sure the others are there." He took out his hands, his finger representing a different person. "Like Derrick. He's obviously going to be there, since he's part of the ceremony. Kish and Nayeli maybe... I saw Kylin as well, accompanied by Cray—"

"I don't _want_ to see that one-eyed idiot!"

Vector nodded, in slight understanding. There were few things that he and Tristan had in common, and a disliking for the former bandit leader was one of them. Though, he had become more acquainted with Crayk, still Vector had found his behavior slightly immature up to the point of annoyance; however he kept those feelings to himself—some things shouldn't be said out loud. Tristan on the other hand…

His red eyes glanced at a nearby window. "Oh no! Riza!" With that he scurried toward the West Wing.

"Hey! Wait!"

-------

"Do you think you could stop moving, so I could sew the rest of this lace on?" Nayeli deliberately poked the girl on the leg with the needle. Riza scowled, but did as she was told and stood still. After several minutes, the half Giganto sighed. "There…done." She got up from her kneeling position and motioned Riza toward the mirror.

She was wearing a single piece, dark green sheath that extended all the way to her ankles. The dress revealed her collar bones and shoulders, but long sheer sleeves covered the rest of her arms. She had a golden girdle tied around her waist, which matched the top and bottom brim of the dress, which was also accented with gold lace. During the past two years, Riza had allowed her hair to grow out, and now it flowed down to her mid-back. The locks hugged her cheeks and her usual messy bangs were neatly moved to the right to reveal her large chestnut eyes. A silver choker with the emblem of Serdio, a basil leaf, sat around her neck. And on her head was a fully covered coated wire wrapped in green ferns and buttercup yellow flowers, completing the outfit and giving it right touch of elegance.

"Wow!" she said amazed at the beauty of her attire, especially the flowers. She was never really a dress person, but… "This is really nice."

"Of course it looks nice!" Nayeli snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "I made the thing!" She looked at the dress once more and gave herself a triumphant nod. Of course she didn't exactly sew the _whole_ dress herself, the King's handmaidens did that, however it just looked overly plain. A green long sleeved dress. That was it. No lace. No flowers. Nada! Nayeli just tweaked it…a little…maybe a lot. Besides, Riza looked stuffed in the dress, and it was summer in Serdio. Would it kill the seamstresses to make a dress that suited the season? But then again, she didn't deserve all the praise for this 'masterpiece'. "Well, Kish _did_ get the flowers, though."

Riza turned to Nayeli. "Kish is here? I thought he had work?"

"Nah, he said he wouldn't want to miss your special day," the married woman said with a sigh. "Anyway, he's probably in Great Hall playing with Amber."

Despite the fact that Nayeli was unable to bare any children of her own, that still didn't stop her dream of being a mother. She and her husband adopted a three-year old orphan, who was abandoned in the Barrens and founded by a group of travelers, who were coming to Donau. Every since that day, the couple had an extra member in their small household. Kish was so beside himself with joy that he begged Nayeli to allow them to adopt more children…12 more, to be exact. However, the new mother was having a hard enough time with the energetic toddler and shunned the idea. Though a few more children in the future would be nice, but 12?

There was a soft knock on the door causing both of the women to look up. The door slowly opened and Dart's head popped in. "Are you girls almost done in there? Oh!…am I intruding?"

"No, not at all, Mr. Feld," Nayeli responded, collecting her sewing materials. After she was done, she headed toward the door. "I'll see you both at the ceremony." And with that, she left.

Riza turned to her father, who had stepped inside the room. "Well?" She twirled, allowing him to see the dress completely. "What do you think?"

Dart smiled. "You look beautiful…If you don't mind me saying, you really _do_ look a lot like your mother when she was your age."

"Aw, don't feel bad, Dad," Riza said, giving her father a comforting pat on the shoulder. "I look like you too." She placed her hands on his face and pressed his cheeks. "With our high cheekbones and the fierce look in our eyes—you know, I think we could even pull off being twins!" She burst out laughing as her father sheepishly removed her hands from his face.

"Do you think you can act your age for once?" Dart asked, but he couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter's comment.

The door once again flew open and in wobbled an old swarthy man, dress in a long magenta sleeveless robe. A mane of white hair flowed down his back and a small mustache tickled the tip of his nose. Small, black, beady eyes glanced around the room, until he found…

"Ah, there is my great-granddaughter!" Haschel hugged Riza tightly. He took a good look at her and smiled. "Well would you look at that? Riza is actually acting like a girl. I'm rather impressed." He laughed, as she playfully (and lightly) shoved him.

Dart sighed. _I see where she gets her childish ways from…_

Haschel took her arm and put it through his own; and the two of them faced the mirror. "I feel like I'm walking you down the aisle to your wedding," he said. "You know, your mother was married when she was about your age."

"Really?" Riza asked, innocently cocking her head to the side.

Dart glared at his grandfather. "Don't put any ideas in her head, Haschel!"

"No need to be overprotective, Dart. Riza is a woman now! Don't think for one second that men won't want to come and court her. Unless…" He turned to her with a sly look in his eyes. "…there is _someone_ you have in mind?" Riza blushed slightly. Haschel patted her elbow and whispered: "Don't worry your secret is safe with me."

"What are you two muttering about?"

They looked at each other and then giggled at the father's ignorance and slow-nature.

"What's so funny?"

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

This ceremony was like none of the ones before it. History was about to be written. The large Great Hall was packed and boisterous, family and friends, who were waiting for the grand event. After today, the Serdian Knighthood would be forever changed, with the addition of a female member. The hall was decorated for the important occasion. Eight green flags, with a golden basil leaf stitched in the middle of each, were hung in the air and arranged in two rows of four—representing the eight different regiments of the Serdian knighthood that served under King Albert. The walls were covered with vibrant tapestries of past knight who preformed acts of bravery for the country, one of which had the image of the former head of the First Knighthood.

The crowd soon silenced when the music started. It was the national anthem, but a slower more relaxed version of it. The guests stood up; some, out of respect, had their heads bowed, while others wanted to see everything. The royal family walked in first, taking their seats on their specific thrones. The Serdian Ministers came next and was placed in the first pew. Other important noblemen trailed them and took their seats as well, occupying the second and third rows.

King Albert turned to the musicians and nodded. Immediately the trumpets sounded, which was followed by a second procession of the Heads of the Serdian Knighthoods. They were dressed in a lightweight metal armor that covered their torso, legs, and arms, with a green tunic and trousers underneath. The knights each carried a sword, one of which would be chosen by the king to dub the future knights. The men walked in single file, before splitting—four to the right and four to the left—and stood right in front of the three stairs that was in front of the five thrones. The knights stood with honor and integrity, with eyes looking straight ahead and hands neatly behind their backs.

Albert walked down from his throne and stood in the middle of the eight knights. One of the ministers stepped out of his pew and sauntered slowly toward the throne. He bowed before the king, and then turned to the audience. "Let the ones to be knighted, please step forward!" The man opened the scroll in his hand and read the first name.

"Tristan Slambert!"

Everyone turned toward the large opened doors, and walked in a built black haired male. Tristan looked straight ahead, just as he rehearsed with Derrick. He ambled toward the throne. He bowed before the king and stood in front of the monarch, towards his right.

"Riza Claire Feld!"

Tristan couldn't help his eyes from widening when he saw her. She walked with such grace, such beauty. She looked so…elegant.

Riza's heart pounded erratically. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Her dream was becoming a reality! So many people were to thank for this. She smiled when she looked at her Uncle Albert. He gave a slight nod of the head, encouraging her. She wanted to run and hug him, but instead she curtsied before him and took her place next Tristan.

They both knelt to the ground in front of their king, with their heads bowed low.

Albert gazed at the two young adults before him. He then turned to the knights around him, and walked over to Derrick. "Unsheathe your sword, Head of the First Knighthood." The blond knight complied, and Albert took the weapon. The King sauntered, until he was directly in front of Tristan and Riza.

"As knights, do you swear to defend the weak and to uphold virtues like compassion, loyalty, generosity and truthfulness?"

In unison, the two teens recited the oath. "I swear to only speak the truth. I swear to be loyal to my lord, King. I swear to be brave and to never avoid dangerous paths out of fear. Lastly, I swear to be charitable and defend the poor and helpless, for it is the people we are here to defend."

The King lifted the sword, and then used it to tap on Tristan's shoulders. "I dub thee, sir Tristan." He repeated the action on Riza's shoulders. "And I dub thee, Lady Riza. Now arise, you have both rightfully earned a place within the Serdian Knighthood!"

The Grand Hall was filled with the sound of boisterous clapping. The music began to quicken in tempo and the party officially started.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

The wind gently passed by, giving some relief in the summer heat. As she sat on the Slambert rooftop, Riza gazed at the magnificent Indels Castle against the sunset. The beautiful array of red, oranges, yellows and purples made the stone palace stand out. Her dream had finally come true; she was now an official Serdian knight. Riza sighed; she knew that she would be called for duty soon, and although she wasn't afraid, she knew she would miss this peace and tranquility that she was experiencing now. But at least she knew she wasn't on her journey alone. She closed her eyes and leaned on Tristan's shoulder, as he gently stroked his fingers through her hair.

He was never one who liked quiet; normally it was an uncomfortable silence that he gladly filled with noise, however this time he didn't. Tristan just sat there, reflecting, thinking about the past years that led to this moment. All the things that could have happened, but didn't, and yet he was content. True, he did miss his family back in Hautz—sometimes he wondered how his life would've been like if the dream he had under Kazic's spell was a reality, but he didn't dwell on it for long. The pungent smell of jerky began to overwhelm his nose. He glanced down at Riza and smirked. He liked **this** life better. Much better.

Her low mumbling caught him off guard and he asked her to reiterate her words.

"Let's have a battle," Riza repeated. It was rather a spontaneous request, but she was itching to fight. After all, now that she was a knight she was no longer allowed to participate in the Lohan Heroes Competition. Who else would be willing to fight her without discrimination and actually make the fight interesting?

She got up and looked down at him with her lips curved in a devious smile. "Come on, you know you want to." She extended her hand.

Tristan cocked a brow. Most girls during a moment like they had earlier would've said something else. But then again, Riza wasn't like other girls.

"What? No 'I love you' or 'Kiss me'? Nope, it's 'let's have a fight'." He looked at her for a moment, as if he was thinking. "Well, I guess if you mean up for kicking your _ass_." He smirked when she pulled her hand away when he tried to reach for it. "Ah, come on. Isn't that a little harsh?" He hoisted himself up and watched as Riza began to stretch her limbs. During the past two years, her fighting style had been a bit...modified—more Rouge School techniques that she had learned from Haschel. In Tristan's opinion, the movements she was doing looked like she was dancing for him, rather than prepping herself for a fight, but he already knew never to underestimate her.

Riza smirked. She was glad that she had changed her clothes earlier into something more flexible. Immediately she ran and tried to punch him, but he parried the attack, by moving to the right. She nimbly did a back-flip kick, almost causing him to fall off the roof.

"Hey, could you **try** to be a little gentler!" Tristan ducked as she tried to land another hit on him. Her movements were much faster now. Damn Haschel—despite his old age he was still a good teacher! He tumbled out of the way so he could get her back. He tried to kick her, but she had already turned and blocked the attack with her forearm.

As Riza tried to punch on the side, Tristan somersaulted over her head, and quickly kicked her in the ribs. She skidded back, almost to the edge of the roof. She saw the smirk form on his lips. He ran up to her and grabbed her left arm, but she slapped him in the face with her right hand. He hissed, but he didn't let it faze him, and took both of her arms and twisted them hard.

Riza yelped at the pain.

"Ready to admit defeat?" Tristan whispered in her ear.

She responded by stepping on his foot, and for the split second that he loosened his hold of her; she pulled out her right arm and flipped his heavy body over hers. Before he could even react, she placed her foot over his neck.

Tristan's eyes narrowed. "You suck."

"Cry-baby." Riza said. She laughed as she helped him get up from the rugged brick tiles. "Just face it; you'll never b—hey!"

Before she could finish what she was saying, he gave her a tight hug. He then cupped her face into his hands, pulled it closer to his own, and kissed her strongly on the lips. The need for air was the only reason they pulled apart.

"I love you," he said. He moved his arms to her waist, drawing her closer to him.

Her eyes turned to crescent moons as she looked up at him and smiled. "I love you, too." She buried her head in his shoulder. It was moments like these that she cherished the most. Riza placed her arms around his neck, and began to move closer to his face, as he leaned in and moved closer to hers.

The sound of a throat clearing caused both of them to turn toward the window. The two teenagers gasped when they saw a tall blond male, leaning against the side of the house.

Hazel eyes scanned the both of them, digesting their behavior and reaction to his presence. The orbs then followed the boy's arms, and narrowed slightly.

Immediately, Tristan removed his hands from Riza's waist; however the hazel eyes just stared at him. He glanced at Riza. From the look that Dart was giving him, it was highly possible that... "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No..." Riza whispered back. She turned to Tristan and gave him a peck on the cheek. "...but you will." She then swiftly walked past her father and down the ladder.

Dart's eyes followed his daughter until she was out of sight, and then moved back to Tristan. He folded his arms, waiting for an explanation for what he had just seen.

Tristan gulped, and then laughed, weakly. She was _supposed_ to have told her father about them _months_ ago! But of course, she had to procrastinate this as well. "Ah well...Mr. Feld...um...you see..." He could feel the tension in the air. He wondered how long Dart was standing there, before he cleared his throat. How much did he see? Maybe he didn't have to tell him much. "What had happened was..." Or better yet, he didn't have to say anything at all. "Oh! Yes mom? Did you call me?" Although no other voice could be heard, Tristan zoomed towards the window before the older male could even say a word.

Dart sighed and shook his head. A gentle breeze blew. He lifted his head and inhaled and smiled.

_Shana, our daughter is really growing up._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note**: How'd you like it? It wasn't too corny was it? I was listening to the end song just to make get into the mood to write this chapter. lol Thanks faithful reviewers, you're reviews really kept me going!

This all wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for the criticism and guidance of my sisters and my brother. Thanks guys. :)

Another disclaimer: I got the oath from online (Fanfiction won't let me put the site address on this so, yeah.). Also I based the knighting from "Quest for Camelot" cuz it was the only thing I ever watched with people being knighted. (It's a good movie, you should watch it!)

Wow, I feel very accomplished now that I finished a fanfiction all the way through. One day, when I am mad bored, I'll edit this whole thing—fixing all the grammar mistakes and such. Though, I'm going to take a break from fanfiction before jumping into my other one, 'Alar Bride'. School has started and I'm holding 18 credits under my belt this semester. o_O The work is colossal, so I'm not sure when I'm going to actually start posting those chapters. (I still have to develop the story more, anyway. Toodles!

_Shinshia101_


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